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In the Loop: Walking down the aisle a reality for paralyzed athlete
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In 2008, Mallory Weggemann became paralyzed from the waist down following an epidural injection gone wrong. The then 18-year-old competitive swimmer fought her way back into the water, went on to win two medals at the 2012 Paralympic Games, and competed in seven individual events during last year's Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.
Still, Mallory had yet to accomplish her "ultimate" goal. That, she told us in September, was to walk down the aisle on her wedding day. It, too, would take intense training. In October, she began twice-a-week, 90-minute training sessions with physical therapist Megan Gill at Mayo Clinic's Rochester campus. They started with "the basics" of getting Mallory "used to being on my feet again." From there, Mallory progressed to the physical act of walking, and then walking while wearing a "petticoat skirt," which, like her wedding dress, would hide the "visual feedback" of her feet. Read the rest of Mallory's story.
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This story originally appeared on the In the Loop blog.
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