Meet The Co-Captains

When I was younger, I always loved staying active. In my youth, I was a gymnast and high diver and always had my eyes set on pursuing some form of extreme sport for a career. Growing up I didn’t know I had Charcot Marie Tooth Disease (CMT), but my initial symptoms started at 6. I was unable to move my toes and eventually started having foot drop.

When my foot drop first started, my doctors put me in stiff plastic braces and I hated them! They made it hard to roll through my step and even harder to balance. Emotionally I struggled with the idea of wearing them, I was convinced that mobility devices were a bad thing and made me “less than.” It goes to say, I never wore them.

This didn’t stop me though, I continued to find joy in fitness and sports through highschool. Although, as I got older, my symptoms started progressing. I was tripping more frequently and I lost hope that I could follow my passion for sports and fitness. It wasn’t until my late 20’s that I was officially diagnosed with CMT and my life was forever changed when I discovered fellow Co-Captain, Virginia Mamone.

I sat very sceptically, at my first CMTA conference, while a local orthotist was presenting on how beneficial AFOs could be for CMT patients. It wasn’t until his video presentation that I had a complete 180 degree mindshift. During this presentation, Virginia Mamone told her story about her struggles with running (a sport she loved) because of her CMT and foot drop and how getting her Allard AFOs gave her the ability to do the sport she once loved again! There were videos of her natural gait, followed by her wearing BlueRockers running with ease! At this point, I was completely convinced that mobility devices are not shameful or a hindrance that I once thought they were, but instead they are a path to freedom!

I quickly made an appointment with that very orthotist and got in my first pair of Allard BlueRockers and haven’t looked back!

Since then, I started my journey of acceptance and finally got my career in fitness as a personal trainer for those with mobility disabilities. I started my company All Bodies Community and feel so lucky that I get to work side by side with other personal trainers who have CMT. Our team has a passion for helping others find safe and effective ways to exercise and want people to know they can be active wherever they are at in their lives or progression. One of my other goals is to encourage people to emBRACE their mobility aids and know that they bring independence and freedom.

I’ve found many ways to stay active and found a love for adaptive sports. I absolutely love mono-skiing and adaptive bike riding. I enjoy traveling and love seeing new sites. I wouldn’t be able to do these things without the acceptance I have found within myself. I hope my story has inspired you to not be afraid to try something new, like an AFO or adaptive sport. Having a disability isn’t the end, It’s learning to adapt that makes us stronger and more resilient.