Intuitive Choices

Jacqui Kapinowski, Two-Time Paralympian, Adaptive Sports Hall of Fame Inductee, Turning Challenges into Opportunities

• Kimberley Dobbs and Jacob Miller • Season 1 • Episode 12

Share episode

If you're feeling stuck in life and you cannot find the energy to blast through the obstacles in your way, this is the episode for you. Anyone who has ever had the pleasure of meeting Jacqui Kapinowski knows that there is only one word to describe her, unstoppable.  Jacqui has survived two bouts of bacterial meningitis, a stroke, thyroid cancer, throat cancer,  and currently lives with Stiff Person Syndrome, SPS, a rare neurological disease effecting one in one million people.  Jacqui has not only overcome and continued to contend with these challenges, she has thrived. 

Jacqui is a two-time American Paralympian having competed in curling in the 2010 Winter Paralympics and Rowing in the 2016 Summer Paralympics. If that weren't enough Jacqui has competed in a combined nine world championships in curling, triathlon, wheelchair racing, and rowing. She has also competed in 90 marathons, 19 as a runner and 71 as a wheel chair race or hand-cyclist. It may be possible that she is the only woman to have competed in the Boston and New York City Marathons in the Running and Wheelchair categories. Understandably, she was a 2022 inductee into the Adaptive Sports Hall of Fame.

Somehow after all her athletic endeavors, Jacqui still found the time and energy to create Shifting Gears United, an organization which provides adaptive sports programs, equipment, coaching, training, and educational clinics in order to change the lives of individuals with various disabilities.

Shifting Gears United
https://shiftinggearsunited.org/

Freedom Coast Ride - November 11, 2023 Registration
https://shiftinggearsunited.org/freedom-coast-ride-registration/

Speaker 1:

Hey everybody, I'm Kimberly Dobbs.

Speaker 2:

And I'm Jacob Miller.

Speaker 1:

And we'd like to welcome you to another episode of Intuitive Choices.

Speaker 2:

Kim and I are mental health therapists working in Philadelphia.

Speaker 1:

Each week, we invite a guest to speak about how their own intuitive choices have led them to live a more meaningful life.

Speaker 2:

We hope that this conversation encourages you to make meaningful choices in your own life.

Speaker 1:

Alright, off we go.

Speaker 2:

Let's do it.

Speaker 1:

Hey guys, we'd like to welcome you back to another episode of Intuitive Choices. I'm Kim.

Speaker 2:

And I'm Jacob.

Speaker 1:

And today we have with us such an extraordinary woman I'm going to break down that word really quickly and say Extraordinary Human being.

Speaker 2:

Above and Beyond.

Speaker 1:

I mean, just like this is the coolest. Is she smiling?

Speaker 2:

Big smile.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, we have her with us, jackie Kapunowski, and she is a two-time Paralympian for curling and rowing. She is the president and founder of Shifting Gears United and the Freedom Coast ride, which we'll sort of get into a little bit in a minute, but first we're just going to do a huge thank you and welcome to our gal here, jackie.

Speaker 2:

Thank you so much for joining us.

Speaker 3:

Thank you for having me be part of your podcast this morning. I'm truly honored.

Speaker 2:

Jackie, I think if we took the time, we could actually spend the entire hour of the podcast just like listing your accolades, which would kind of like take away from the episode itself.

Speaker 3:

I was looking at your Wikipedia page and it said but I'm not that kind of person. No, that, yeah, that please.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, we could be that for you.

Speaker 2:

I was looking at your Wikipedia page and it said that you Correct me if I'm wrong or if this is wrong, but it says that you're the only woman to ever compete in the Boston Marathon as both a runner and in a wheelchair. Is that correct?

Speaker 3:

Oh, there's many of the marathons. I'm the only woman to run in wheelchair race and that was my goal because I was at 90 marathons. So one of my friends suggested you got to go to 100 and go back to the ones that you ran, but my disease just progressed. So there's New York, there's Boston, marine Corps, new Jersey Marathon Wow, oh God, I can't remember all of them.

Speaker 2:

It's just like a total athlete to your bones, like through and through.

Speaker 1:

Yeah of course.

Speaker 3:

I was a runner, like Harry's mom used to say where's she running to? I look at myself as like the forest gun, before even forest gun moving, because I never, ever, missed the day of running in my life. It didn't matter if it was raining, snowing, what the weather was. I ran seven days a week. So I'd run all week before I meet my girlfriend early in the morning and then we go to work, and then on weekends I tried to get her to sign up and do a marathon. It was always because I'm a distance girl. I love to run. I could just run and run.

Speaker 1:

Can we give people some context? Because you just said and then your disease progressed. So give us an idea of what is the disease or what is it, maybe even before that.

Speaker 2:

Jackie can you listen to like where are you from? Oh good, thank you. Now, where are you from originally? Just like kind of like where are you from originally? Brief a little life story in the beginning and then maybe tell us a little bit about the disease.

Speaker 3:

I am from New Jersey originally.

Speaker 2:

Very proudly from New Jersey, clearly.

Speaker 3:

Very proudly from New Jersey and I've been living down in Florida approximately about 15 years. I came down my parents lived down the street, so my dad just turned 95. Congratulations. Oh awesome, so I could take care of my mom and dad and be with them.

Speaker 1:

You mentioned Harry, that's your husband.

Speaker 3:

He's a North retired fireman from North New Jersey. Wow, he is the greatest man in the world that God. God gave me the greatest gift when he gave me Harry. I used to. I took care of his mom. I left my job and I took care of her and we moved her in our home and I thank her every day for raising the sisters the same way. He's just just such a good soul and just I'm so blessed, truly blessed.

Speaker 2:

Incredible.

Speaker 3:

Incredible.

Speaker 2:

So, Jackie, it sounds like your your athletic career began as a runner, but when did it begin? In what ways did it start to take form?

Speaker 3:

Well, I ran, I ran a little bit in school. My parents moved down, moved us from up North to the Jersey Shore my senior year. So that was really tough. I've kind of been in, yeah. So I didn't spend much time in school, I was more, and I would make excuses because my family's from Scotland. I always tell a little fib that my family was away. But I missed 62 days of absence. Just to give you an idea of my senior year. I just didn't seem like I fit in. But I just would just go run and run and run. Just I would just put on my sneakers and just run every day.

Speaker 1:

Sounds like that was something that was really therapeutic for you.

Speaker 3:

Very therapeutic and it's tough when you're that age and you know you're grown up, you're grown up with, you know all of your friends, your whole life and then to be removed from that. Yeah, and do your last year in a strange place, a different, it was a different environment, totally down the Jersey Shore from up North.

Speaker 2:

By up North. Where are you talking about?

Speaker 3:

I was from Bridgewater, New Jersey.

Speaker 1:

Okay.

Speaker 3:

And it was. You know, I've done a little street with three houses and farms. Wow, you know, there was no stores, or the Bridgewater Mall wasn't there, there wasn't anything back then.

Speaker 2:

Those moves in high school are really alienating, disorienting.

Speaker 3:

Yes, it is. And being the middle child, so you know my siblings already graduated that and that was a tough move. I was kind of a little mad at them for a while with that yeah. I'm sure.

Speaker 2:

So what did you find in running? What did running give you?

Speaker 3:

It gave me peace, it gave me commitment, it gave me a clear mind. I just love to run. Yeah, I just love the beauty of getting up when it's dark and watching the sunrise. And every day it's like you know, even though you're running the same route, like every day you see something, even though you live there and you think you see everything but God's beauty, like, oh, I never noticed that before. Yeah, so I just love being outdoors. I do not like doing any sports. When someone says, oh, go train indoors on your trainer, I cannot do that.

Speaker 1:

So, jackie, can you tell us a little bit more about your disease, like how did it progress so?

Speaker 3:

I don't know, but I still believe I am the only person in the world to have bacterial meningitis twice and survive. The second time I had it, my dad took me to the hospital.

Speaker 1:

I was a little…. How old were you when you…?

Speaker 3:

I believe I was 20 the first time and then 24, 25 the second time I got it, and that's when my dad didn't think I was coming out of the Comorra at the hospital. He, you know later I don't remember anything, of course, but when he told the story. It's sad, you know, but I survived. You know I had to learn how to speak again and the rehabilitation was a lot, but we did not know from the meningitis because I just went back to my life. You know what I'm saying. I was still running, everything was great in life, until one morning I just could try to get out of bed and it fell Like my legs would just give out and I said to Harry wow, that's odd and I couldn't like just like ambulate, my legs and….

Speaker 1:

I can't even imagine. I just am trying to like in my mind, just even try to think about you and how important just running was and is, and ambulating just in general, how important that is. And then to just wake up and not be able to use your legs.

Speaker 3:

Yes, it was really hard because then, you know, I went to many Hospitals and you know I went. I applied to the Mayo Clinic. You know, jf Kennedy, I Prince-Termont. I found I went to the best of the best hospitals and started having a lot of seizures which I never had before, so I had to stop driving.

Speaker 3:

But it took them four years to diagnose the disease. I mean they, they diagnosed me with everything and finally they just did this test and came back positive and they tell me that I have stiff. Back then it was called stiff man syndrome because there was more men and women and I think, like a number 22 in the world, it's one in one million and there's no cure for it. Celine Dion just came out Last year that she you know she'll no longer be singing, she's diagnosed with the same disease and when I saw it on TV and I do not watch TV at all, someone had me on Listen to it and I just cried for her because here I've lived with it for 25 years. So I just feel bad for her children and knowing what she's gonna have to go through because the spasticity and the disease is just.

Speaker 3:

You know, I've had so many broken bones from the spasms and Wow my fingers, my spine, so they'll just glue it because they can't put, like, any metal or anything in me because this, the spasms are so severe.

Speaker 2:

So what is stiff? Person syndrome? So what? What are the?

Speaker 3:

There's. If you Google it, there is really nothing really too much on it. It's just a progressive disease. They don't really know.

Speaker 1:

The muscles. I guess it's of the muscle, the muscle in the nerves Mm-hmm, wow, okay, yeah.

Speaker 3:

and so now that's where, in December, I Couldn't swallow anymore, I couldn't eat I I lost 50 pounds so fast and an ambulance, apparently, took me to the hospital and I I don't honestly remember anything. My priest says it's a good thing that I don't remember. Then Harry says that also. But I was in ICU and then I guess I went to the next 24 seven care unit and then into a regular room.

Speaker 3:

Yeah have this feeding tube which no one has addressed as of today, and I've had it since December. So I'm just kind of winging it myself. And as an athlete I tried to use my mind of what my nutrition is, so I just tried to put, you know, beet juice and whatever is healthy in there, liquid vitamins. It's just been a bit of a pain in the In the butt you've.

Speaker 2:

You've had to readjust so many times in your life to so many things and it it's.

Speaker 2:

Even just listening, right, jacob, like we're just sitting here and I'm just You're always fighting the fight, it seems yeah, yes, I am yeah and you know, and I think what's what I'm taking away from this is, you know, people say all the time like, oh, it'll get easier, or it gets easier, it doesn't get easier. What are you talking about? And that's not the point. How could you say that to someone? It gets easier, you know, and and I and so Jackie, since it doesn't get easier and in fact it's getting for you.

Speaker 1:

It's. It's getting harder, it's progressively getting.

Speaker 2:

More difficult. Where do you find your strength?

Speaker 3:

I Think that I have just been a fighter my whole life, that I just am mentally strong. I've got a husband who is right by my side. Matt Does everything and anything for me. He just puts me on this pedestal and just thinks the world of me. He just before I was getting ready, I didn't do anything. It make it up every morning and the first things out of his mouth is Wow, you're so beautiful. And that 15 minutes later it's like it's like oh honey, I've been here for 35 years.

Speaker 3:

He has won the first words out of his mouth as well. Look how beautifully you are.

Speaker 2:

Yeah, how did you? How did you meet your husband?

Speaker 3:

I Met him down the Jersey Shore. I was out with my girlfriend and this is so unbelievable her older sister. They have a Brought me voice. Like I do, I've had Cancer. So, my, my, I had thyroid and throat cancer when I was over in London on the triathlon team, but I didn't know I had cancer. I just thought it was, um, like I had a Bronchitis or something like that from Hyde Park, from the ducks and the the feces in there. So when I came home and I got diagnosed with cancer, that was another whole thing. I don't get why. I don't want to get sidetracked.

Speaker 1:

You were asking me husband yeah, jersey, sure I'd also need to acknowledge that, like you, also dealt with cancer, you know.

Speaker 3:

And a stroke.

Speaker 1:

Okay, but but yes, let's, let's, let's circle back to to Harry. So you met him down the Jersey Shore.

Speaker 3:

Oh yeah, I'm sure so my, my girlfriend, sue she has a really raspy voice and her older sister, so her, their, their father was a norc police officer. So Harry and all his single buddies were at the, the restaurant, at the bar, having their beverages, and came over to my girlfriend and After you know about her last name and of course they knew each other from from norc and then, um, hey, harry asked me. Harry asked me out, for he asked me my name. I told him what was Sarah there? And exactly, yes, we wanted to go out on a date and I said no, thank you, but it what I did is eventually we went to. He had a home with his buddies, because they were all single and just kind of hung out, and and what happened was I had tickets for Billy Joel.

Speaker 1:

Miller favorite mine and take us favorite ever.

Speaker 3:

Okay, go ahead. I just went to that when I was at their house. I'm like, oh, I have tickets, but Harry didn't have off. But I think he went to his captain in chief and he goes you take off, and he goes, you do not let. You do not Let this one go, you do not let her go. And that's how it started is. We went to Nassau anymore, and so I guess I took him on Sarah and Sarah and took Harry. Okay, and from there it was just love, just pure love.

Speaker 1:

I, you know I'm thinking about, you know, just Having this, this disease, this progressive disease, basically losing the ability to run, in that, something that was so cathartic and therapeutic for you, and, and, and, and. You know, what did you then do with your? How did how did you then cope? Like right, if this is your primary way of of coping and it was therapy for you, running then like.

Speaker 3:

So now I was in my late 20s I'd say 29, where I was starting to use the walker, and because I didn't, I asked my doctor. I said do you mind if I go and just get a second opinion? So I went to the University of Pennsylvania because I couldn't get in the Mayo Clinic at that point. I already went to John Hopkins and other hospitals and I went down there because there was a specialist for this disease because it is so rare, and the doctor basically told me that I'm in really good hands and I'll never forget it's embedded in me that drive home from Philadelphia back to New Jersey. The two of us were like so quiet, but it was like a knife in my gut because I'm like what does it mean? And I'm not going to be able to run anymore. It wasn't even about running. Just have the quality of life, of being a woman and doing my job and being a mom and just everything. So when it came time for the wheelchair and that came through the door, I wouldn't get off the couch. I let it sit there and I go. I can't, harry. I said I'm not, I can't. And he goes what are you going to do? I said I'll crawl and he's like no, jackie, he goes, we'll figure it out.

Speaker 3:

But before this I qualified to run Boston Marathon, right, and as an elite runner I'm always in a corral with the women. So if there are any other races that I've done, I'm usually in the eight corral. And I was so absorbed, I guess, with my own self that I never even realized or knew about wheelchair racing. So here as a runner I qualified. So I called the director of the Boston Marathon and told her about my disease and how I qualified at Grandma's Marathon and all this stuff. But I said I'm not a runner anymore.

Speaker 3:

They let me push my walker and then they were explaining to me to become a wheelchair racer. I'm like, well, what is wheelchair racing? And then they're telling me you have to qualify. I go, you make people in wheelchairs qualify. Like I couldn't wrap my brain around that at all. So I always came down to Florida to see my parents at Thanksgiving, the first week of December. They always had the Palm Beach's Marathon. So the director of the disability division, my dearest friend Kevin Spina, when I called him he was speechless. When I asked him if I could push my walker and he's like you're a walker. And I was like, yeah, I said I'm a runner and I had this disease, but I'm not like in a wheelchair, but just a little bit, and I didn't know how to explain it. So there's like $500 for wheelchair racing, which still I don't know about wheelchair racing. So I go, I don't race for money, I said, I race for the sport. So I pushed my walker at the Palm Beach's Marathon.

Speaker 1:

So you pushed a walker for 26.2 miles.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, many and a few. How many times? Boston, new Jersey, Palm Beaches. I ended it with New Jersey because that was my home and I knew that was the end and it was a real struggle at that point when I crossed the finish line of Boston with my walker, it was amazing.

Speaker 3:

It was the front page of the Boston Globe and the tape literally fell off my sneakers. But the West Palm line, with Kevin and I was always down here visiting my parents. They'd been down here for 36 years, 37 years, I don't know exactly the number. The community raised money and purchased my very first racing wheelchair and all they asked is that if I would come back and race as a wheelchair racer. And I said of course, but I didn't really still understand what that meant. So then I was educated, learned about, got fitted and got my first racing wheelchair. And within 10 days of just getting this chair I said to my husband and I said to my coach Quinn, I want to do a marathon and see if I can qualify for the Boston Marathon. So I said it's just in Pennsylvania, but it was Erie, pennsylvania, which you know it's closer to.

Speaker 3:

Ohio, yeah so. I think it was like a nine 10 hour drive here. I think I'm going to like Philly you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 3:

Not realizing I'm going. And when I arrived and saw these, the wheelchair racers, the men and women, I had to go in my car and I just I cried, I prayed, I go, oh no, I can't do this. I saw an area no way, no way, and he's like you're going to do this. So I had this gentleman that was my bike guide. So this chair is brand brand new. So the rubber I don't know if you know about how the push rings are they have rubber on the outside.

Speaker 3:

I guess the manufacturer didn't look very good. So the so it's punching off the metal. So I asked the bike gentleman can you tell my husband, can you go find him and tell him that the rubber's off the chair and I'm punching on the metal and the bicyclists came back and said how you, how you're wheeling the wheelchair right, yeah, so I'm pushing like off the special gloves and there's rubber like on the underneath the middle of the ring, so it's first time protection.

Speaker 3:

But I guess, coming on the manufacturer it was just came off. So I just had the, the metal, but it was hurting my arm. So I said can you just go tell my husband? So the gentleman the bicyclists came back and he said your husband said keep pushing and you don't stop. I was like oh, so short, I beat everybody and I call for Boston after like 10 training sessions with my coach.

Speaker 2:

Incredible.

Speaker 1:

Incredible but it's such a different.

Speaker 2:

I'm trying to wrap my head around to like and I finished fourth in Boston.

Speaker 3:

Oh my gosh.

Speaker 1:

Oh, like you're just you.

Speaker 2:

It's such a, but it's not even like okay, there's the level that I imagined to in in doing a, doing a marathon in a wheelchair as opposed to running it. You still have to have the endurance level, sure, but your legs I imagine there's so much more muscle in your legs that that that facilitate carrying you through a marathon and in your arms and the experience has to be so different, shifting from one to the other.

Speaker 1:

So like horrible.

Speaker 2:

What horrible yeah.

Speaker 3:

You know, I was just in like I just did the.

Speaker 1:

I wanted to see if I could do a half Ironman with a feeding tube and not being fueled, right, so I just yeah, I know I'm Jacob, right, like she just says it so nonchalantly, like yeah, I just wanted to like go walk down the street and just, and so what you're?

Speaker 2:

saying is, when people typically do do an Ironman, they're they eat something throughout the way.

Speaker 1:

There's like those goo packets or they're drinking things Right.

Speaker 2:

So what you're saying is you wanted to see if you could do the Ironman half Ironman half. Ironman, my apologies Half.

Speaker 3:

Ironman. I did an Ironman when I had cancer. Chocolate milk sponsored me. I called them. When I got diagnosed was on team USA, so I did Ironman. So I had that already done. I did Ironman in Florida 10 years ago. So I'm just 10 years cancer free.

Speaker 2:

Have you ever thought about yourself as one of the most athletic athletes, athletic people in human history?

Speaker 1:

Like on the face of the planet Never.

Speaker 3:

I think you have to be. Yeah, I think you'd have to. No, no, no, no.

Speaker 1:

Well, the sports hall of fame.

Speaker 3:

No.

Speaker 2:

I really would say different.

Speaker 3:

I'm like God the sports hall of fame. When we got that email, you know, we like they sent it to the wrong person. So I wrote them back. I go oh, this is Jackie. I said I think you have the wrong person. I said, but thank you very much. And they wrote me back there like no, it's you know you. And when I flew out to Colorado and when they read my resume, like because I don't, I never put on any of my medals or I'm just, I'm just not that kind of person. It's in my heart. You know what I'm saying.

Speaker 3:

I don't deal with the medals or the podium or I just do it to see how far I can just push myself. All the time I'm very hard on myself and I just always want to push the boundaries. And I was supposed to do this half ironman a few years ago and the disease has kind of gotten the way. And what happened was I love to swim.

Speaker 3:

So I met this woman when I was just swimming and I come to the edge of the pool and she just is getting herself ready. She's got this bright, big smile, she's like a ray of sunshine, and I go wow, I go, you're so happy, and you know, and she goes oh, I'm doing the Augusta half ironman. I go, you are, I go where and I go, it must be closed down. And she goes no, and you know I didn't get into anything about it. So I just went about my swim and I came home I didn't read anything, I didn't say anything to Harry because I know that he would not be on board with this, you know, because of the feeding tube and all this. So this was just in the beginning of June, so I just did the race Sunday.

Speaker 1:

I just saw it on Facebook and I literally was in tears. But can you tell the?

Speaker 3:

story. Can you believe I came in third for the, the, the pro women? I was behind. You know what I am.

Speaker 1:

Yes, I can't believe that you came in third, because you're a powerhouse.

Speaker 3:

I was just floored by that like because on the, on the, but let me finish.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah, when I came home.

Speaker 3:

I registered but I never read any of the course or the elevations. Or because you're in the back country of Georgia, you know what I'm saying. Yeah, and you know Florida. Here the Blue Heron Bridge is the big bridge.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 3:

Indian town, you know what I'm saying.

Speaker 1:

It's also all totally flat in Florida.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So I went home, and so it took me a couple of days to tell Harry what I did. So I eventually told him that you registered that you're like I'm going for me just doing things like this and I just started training and this gentleman, josh, one of our volunteers for shifting gears, united we would drive our car down to West Palm at Parker car on Flagler and then I would cycle, you know, flagler over the fly over Blue Heron Singer Island.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 3:

And then I would go to the AGA prosperity.

Speaker 1:

Donald Ross, indian town and then repeat it come back and then do it all over again, holy cow.

Speaker 3:

Uh-huh. So it's been my whole morning just on my bike, just because I would get and I had to put my head, like when you're climbing that bridge on the eighth time you know I was I had my head like like, like I had to save Harry, like if I didn't save Harry he was going to die, or if the bridge was so steep I would sing. I was singing to myself the wheels on the bus so I would keep my arms going because I would literally be like, oh my God, like walkers were just going by me on the Blue Heron bridge, like I'm doing like three miles an hour.

Speaker 1:

I just want to. I just want to interject really quickly because, Pete, our audience isn't going to know when you say you were bike. You were on a bike, you were on a bike ride, so you were using a hand cycle.

Speaker 3:

My hand cycle, yeah, okay. So I was hand, cycling just slow, slow, as people are exercising in the morning, walking faster than I can get over the bridge, and you know they're like, oh, yeah, you're like, oh, you know yeah.

Speaker 2:

Jackie, why, why, how is it that you can just embrace the moment and continue to push yourself in life in these athletic events? And, like all of the honest I, I was a polevolter in college, in high school and in college. That's impressive Look it was division three.

Speaker 1:

Listen, we're talking to you. It's cool, but here's the thing.

Speaker 2:

After I graduated. I remember my last track meet it was it was. It was in May 2015. And frankly I know heighted would mean like I didn't clear anything it was like the last track meet in my life. I was like I was. I'm still bummed about it. To be honest, it's like a while later and I have not been able to exercise regularly since I graduated college because, I'll tell you, because I loved polevolting so much and it's not something I can do on a regular basis.

Speaker 2:

It's expensive, I always wanted to do that, but. But like I can't find the motivation to keep myself exercising since I ended my polevolting career and I'm just like I'm going to put you on the spot what can you tell me to get me to start exercising again?

Speaker 3:

Because I want what you have when one door closes, another one opens.

Speaker 2:

Thank you, but, but it's so simple.

Speaker 3:

I can't get to.

Speaker 2:

I'm not going to like I'm going to. I'm going to ask you to put I'm pushing back at you because I need you to help awaken in me that whatever used to be a little bit of an athlete, that like, because I can't pole vault anymore, I don't want to do anything. And there's so many times in your life where those doors closed and you kept going.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 2:

So is this? I don't have the grit that you have, or I can't figure out how to inspire myself the way you have I do.

Speaker 3:

Okay, no, because you just we talked about it earlier. We have choices that we can make.

Speaker 1:

Right, that's not a recording.

Speaker 3:

Yes, so you could choose what you'd like to do.

Speaker 1:

Oh my God, I'm just schooling your right now. That's what I would like her to do.

Speaker 3:

That's why I'm asking her to do it so if you are in a situation and what I was taught right, and you're struggling with something.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 3:

So here you are with your, your career and it ended, and and I get what you're, where you're coming from, right.

Speaker 2:

Yeah.

Speaker 3:

But a very wise man in priest taught me. He says you know, jackie, if something in your life and you feel like you're at that moment of of moving forward or making a change, he goes, all you have to do is turn your head a quarter and just look a different direction. And every time I am out and I'm struggling, I turn my head a quarter and you see God's beauty and what the life he has given me and the opportunities and the blessings so we can do. Anyone can do anything they want to do. It's just your choice, your mind and your decision.

Speaker 1:

So so what I hear?

Speaker 2:

you tell me is I'm stuck because I want to be stuck, and just exactly right.

Speaker 1:

Yeah, that's exactly what she said.

Speaker 2:

I don't want to want to be stuck. Is that fair?

Speaker 3:

I did have a coach what you have to do is just you know, if you, whatever you'd like to do, you know when I say to anyone and it doesn't matter whether you're in a wheelchair or walking or whatever you know what the hardest, the hardest part is is putting on your sneakers and tying your laces. Once you do that and you get out the door, because once you, you're out there, whatever your sport or whatever, whatever it is in life that you're doing after you finish, the feeling of accomplishment.

Speaker 3:

Even if it might not be the best time at the best time, you're just out there and you did it. You did it for you. You have to do your own race. You're not competing against me or Kim or anyone. You're just doing it for the love of your heart and your soul, to make you feel good.

Speaker 2:

So what I hear you saying in that is something that I try to talk to my clients about, which is moving from a perfectionist's mindset to a growth-oriented mindset. So the perfectionist says it's only worth it if I get the gold medal and you're saying no, no, no, no. The growth that you embody by both training and competing, that's the win in and of itself. Is that what you're saying?

Speaker 3:

Right, Because you think about it. What is the margin of gold, silver and bronze? Only three right. Yeah, and you have everybody. So I know we all want that, even myself when I'm on Team USA, but the honor of just representing your country is just honor enough and being the best version of you. That's the reward.

Speaker 1:

Do you feel like you have that mindset? You carry that with you because when you wake up in the morning and your body hurts or your body doesn't want to move the way you need it to move or do the things or show up for shifting gears United Event or Freedom Coast Ride that you have coming up, do you feel like you always have that mindset? And if you don't, how do you get back there?

Speaker 3:

A lot of time. I honestly I just have to like right now, my my plate is so full with so many things going on. I was just asked for shifting gears. You know, we're asked to host the abilities expo, which I cannot believe that we're going to be doing this Huge on on October 13.

Speaker 3:

I have that. I have this spectacular event for the kids, halloween coming up. We have the Veterans Day parade that we're involved with. I have the Freedom Coast ride. I have dance rehearsal for the holiday parade this afternoon. On Tuesdays, I take piano lessons. So that's my piano lessons from one to two. Wow, so I was jamming this morning so I just started, you know a few months ago, but I love it.

Speaker 1:

So you have this full it really sounds like your life is is full of meaningful experiences that you intentionally, like that one seemed to just drop into your life like magic. And also that you that you cultivate on your own, like the piano lessons. But certainly back to the question around like do you always, are you able to always have that mindset when you wake up in the morning, like I'm just going to like choose to just go for it, even if you're having a hard day, like your body's hurting or you're feeling crappy.

Speaker 3:

I'm very strong will because of all the adversity that I have been through since a young age, you know, since my 20s and I'm going to be 61 in November. You know again, you have choices, so I can have a choice to stay home and do anything, but like this. God has gave us this beautiful life to live and you know we're all created differently and I just believe that you know these opportunities that just keep coming to me and people reaching out like like, for instance, for you reaching out to do this podcast today, like I am so honored.

Speaker 2:

I'm honored that Jackie, what's the beauty that you mentioned? You know, like I, if I'm sitting with a client who has a more pessimistic mindset, or anyone has more pessimistic mindset, they said what are you talking about? What beauty, like, look at this, look at Jackie. You know she's this amazing athlete and they and pardon me for this, but they could say, like what could she have been without the meningitis and the SPS and the stroke and all these things? You know they like that would have been beautiful, like this is nice and you're shaking your head no you wouldn't change anything?

Speaker 2:

No, I think so where's the beauty come from? Because the beauty clearly doesn't mean an easy life and the beauty doesn't mean an expected life. So what's beauty?

Speaker 3:

The beauty is the people that have come into my life and the opportunities that I get to be involved with, with helping others, like I love to help others. The beauty is your heart, of giving, of just giving what you can, and I am so blessed that I'm able to do that. You know I don't make a lot of money I live off my disability but you know I can pay my bills and if I take a couple hundred dollars a week and buy cold cuts and some fruit and juice boxes and stuff like that and can just help, you know I can't fix the world. I wish I could.

Speaker 1:

I think it's like it really comes back to choice.

Speaker 3:

That you are really choosing.

Speaker 1:

You're choosing to see things and experience things as beautiful, right? Because obviously there could be not so great things. That's what we're talking about, just right Things could be hard.

Speaker 3:

Everybody has adversity. We all have adversity, everybody, everybody Right, so it doesn't matter. Okay, what do you want to do with that adversity? Do you want to sit home, sit on a couch and feel sorry for yourself, or do you want to make a difference?

Speaker 2:

I say what do you want to do with that adversity? I love that. That is like to me as such a quote, because people think adversity is something that's you see, you just use the adversity as a point for opportunity. That's what you say Opportunity.

Speaker 3:

I wouldn't change anything in my life, nothing.

Speaker 1:

Nothing I always say when people talk about my blindness and I've probably said this on another episode, a different episode, I don't know but that every day I choose. I can either choose to participate in life every day or I can choose not to.

Speaker 3:

And you choose to.

Speaker 1:

Every day I choose to participate and go look.

Speaker 3:

And you live such a full life. I love watching you and I am just floored by it's like I even hear you say that about me.

Speaker 1:

I'm just like what I mean.

Speaker 3:

thanks, You're such an inspiration. I always say how did you do it? I can't wrap my brain around it.

Speaker 1:

It's all about, I think, just living our lives and just the fullest.

Speaker 3:

That's exactly it. And just you know, get you know, be involved in your community and try to help someone.

Speaker 2:

that Anyone just helps anyone.

Speaker 3:

Just you know, because you don't know. You know what's going on with somebody else. You know, unless they share it with you.

Speaker 1:

You know, you don't have a clue and it's so cup-filling, to just connect with human beings on a deeper level.

Speaker 2:

I want to ask you one question, if it's all right, about your faith and belief, because you mentioned your priest a few times. I can see you wearing your cross, and is that something that you had from a young age, something you came to later on? What's your belief done for you in your life?

Speaker 3:

I was born a Catholic and now I am baptized as a Episcopalian.

Speaker 2:

Okay.

Speaker 3:

And I go to the Good Shepherd Church right down the road here, which is amazing. Father Derek is young and my dad was a Franciscan priest and Scotland.

Speaker 2:

Whoa Wow. So you grew up with a faith structure. You know God was present in your life.

Speaker 3:

Always. He's present in all our lives.

Speaker 2:

Yes, so I grew up the only Jew in a neighborhood of Catholics myself.

Speaker 3:

And yeah, and you know I belong to the Jewish Community Center of the Hundred Women and. I brought a platter in and you'll love this, being Jewish and I said, oh, I'll bring a platter in.

Speaker 1:

Oh my God, I brought in. I know where this is going. I knew what I was actually thought of. I know where this is going, so I had prosciutto and all that kind of stuff on it.

Speaker 3:

I mean, you're Jewish, I guess you don't eat pork. And I kept saying, is prosciutto pork, is prosciutto pork?

Speaker 1:

I did so I thought that counts.

Speaker 2:

Jackie.

Speaker 1:

Yeah.

Speaker 3:

I love that story. I screwed that one up big time.

Speaker 1:

I love that story, yeah, kim you want to ask about the organizations. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I mean gosh, Jacob and I could talk to you all day and I feel like we still didn't even touch on so much of your life. But I think it is important to mention or go into a little bit more detail about your organizations, your Shifting Gears United, as we mentioned earlier, and the Freedom Coast ride that you do. So tell us what these two missions are about.

Speaker 3:

So when I retired in 2016, and I knew I was done because I finished in the B final at the MC only sport I didn't medal in and I was in my mid-fifth no in 2016. And I came home and it was really hard. I was stuck.

Speaker 1:

What sport was that?

Speaker 3:

I was rowing. I stopped rowing because my disease kind of progressed. So that was right after the 2010 Paralympics and Vancouver. I didn't feel like I had a purpose. I didn't know what to do because all I've done was be an athlete and compete and represent our country. So I was involved with other nonprofits and helping out and volunteering and coaching and mentoring and it just came to me that, wow, I should start something and all of a sudden like wow, we all shift gears in life, right? And so that's how I came up with the name of Shifting Gears, because we all shift gears and you're united as one. But that's how I came up with it.

Speaker 2:

Gears in a system that's beautiful.

Speaker 3:

Yeah, so it was born on 9-11, 2019, which it was unbelievable because of my husband being a fireman from up north. All the dates are just yeah.

Speaker 2:

What does Shifting Gears?

Speaker 1:

do. Yeah, what does it do for the community?

Speaker 3:

We have hand cycling, we have running, we do triathlons All adaptive, all adaptive. The kayak program is very popular Kayaking, swimming. So on Saturdays we do brick training. So usually we do hand cycle and then we go to the pool and everyone swims afterwards. But I just Just many adaptive programs wheelchair racing.

Speaker 1:

So in a lot of ways, you created an organization that brings the thing that you love so much, which is athleticism and sports camaraderie connection, right. Holiness, Holiness oh, I love that, Holiness.

Speaker 3:

Holiness, you know sustainability.

Speaker 1:

And what you did is you created an organization that brings that all together for a community that otherwise might not necessarily have the access or with a lock right that you might have had. And then you and so you're opening up all of this opportunity. That's what an incredible, that's man. That's incredible.

Speaker 3:

I'm very proud of it and I can't believe it's five years. I don't know where the five years went.

Speaker 2:

Wow, jack, besides the shifting gears, what was the?

Speaker 1:

other the Freedom Coast Ride.

Speaker 2:

What's the Freedom Coast Ride? Yeah, what is the Freedom Coast Ride, and how does that work?

Speaker 3:

So the Freedom Coast Ride is established just to be all-inclusive. It's our annual fundraiser, so it's very hard to bring in money and get money to keep it running. So this is our annual fundraiser.

Speaker 2:

That's, the funders are four shifting gears.

Speaker 3:

Yes, and the money goes back to and everybody comes together.

Speaker 1:

Whether you are a person who's able-bodied or a person who might be a hand cyclist or doesn't matter right, it's a ride from.

Speaker 3:

It doesn't matter. E-bikes, everybody. It's just a day so well organized.

Speaker 1:

From where to where? Where do you guys?

Speaker 3:

ride. So it's a 40 and 70 mile course. We go from West Palm. The 40-miler goes to the Jupiter Juno-Mersinski, right up along the beach. There's exactly 20 miles and then it goes straight back. The 70-miler's continue on being the Route 1 bridges closed. They go down Indian Town A1A and over to Cato's on a Jupiter Island down to Bridge Road. That's 35 and a half miles right on Bridge Road there as you hit Martin County, and then on back. So it's an out and back course. So you have three fully rest stops where Cardinal, newman, benjamin, the Boy Scouts, those are all.

Speaker 3:

They all carry the rest stops that are fully stocked. Publix. I just got their donation yesterday for the bananas and oranges and When's the next ride? It's coming up right. In a week we're having it on Veterans Day.

Speaker 2:

I wish I could go. Yeah, we had to, but we're going to have to.

Speaker 3:

I was going to say to you, kim, I have a gentleman here that does, because I have a young lady. She's not riding right now. His wife actually has ALS, that volunteers and he helps out on the tandem bikes, if that's something you want to think about, and I would sponsor your hotel room.

Speaker 2:

Oh, my God.

Speaker 3:

Jackie, If you guys wanted to come down and I would sponsor your hotel. I can't sponsor your registration, but it's only $75.

Speaker 1:

No, no, you don't even need to sponsor my hotel. That's very, very generous. I love events like this. We'll talk off the air about it for sure.

Speaker 2:

It has really been such an absolute pleasure to meet you. You have no idea. And now I just have.

Speaker 3:

Well, like life, I'm honored.

Speaker 2:

I'm just going to carry in my head First off. You're really going to help keep me going, jackie personally, so I appreciate that.

Speaker 3:

I'm glad, thank you.

Speaker 2:

Hopefully I can get back into doing some sort of athletic something along the way, because I can't think of a reason not to anymore. So I appreciate that.

Speaker 1:

It's all about it. It's all about it. It's your partner, right next to you.

Speaker 3:

He's so athletic, he could be your inspiration right there. All you got to do is, like I say, turn your head. Just turn your head A quarter. Yeah, exactly.

Speaker 1:

Oh my gosh, what a full circle moment. We want to thank you for just having this beautiful conversation with us. For all the people that are listening, it's just, it's been an honor honestly an honor, and a privilege. So if you want to know more information about Jackie's organization, shifting Gears United, you can find it on. We're going to post it right. Put it in the show notes absolutely yeah, and we're going to put this on social media so hopefully we can generate some traffic for you, jackie, okay.

Speaker 3:

That sounds wonderful and I just want to thank you both so much. It was such an honor and I know it was so much and going all over.

Speaker 1:

No, it was good, great stuff. No, don't even.

Speaker 3:

I mean parts of you lived a full.

Speaker 1:

No, we're crazy.

Speaker 3:

Life of mind.

Speaker 1:

You've lived a beautiful, full life, and you've chosen to do that, and that's the entire point of this podcast. So thank you.

Speaker 2:

Just like you, kim. Okay, thanks so much, jackie.

Speaker 3:

Thanks Jacob, Thanks Kim, have a beautiful day.

Speaker 2:

You too.

Speaker 3:

Thank you for this opportunity.

Speaker 2:

I'm grateful Absolutely. Thank you for joining us, okay.

Speaker 3:

You got it. See you soon, see you All right, bye-bye.

Speaker 2:

We hope you enjoyed watching the wrap up of the video. Thanks, guys. Okay, thank you, you're welcome.

Speaker 1:

And I hope that. You hope you enjoyed watching it. Okay, thanks, gil. Thanks, take care, thanks, bye, bye you.