TeamUP Community
Featured Blog Stories
Steven Peace
Just a few years ago I had an entirely different career path in mind until one night changed the course of my life forever. On October 16, 2006, while serving in the Navy, I suffered a massive stroke. The scariest part is that I was all alone when this experience took... 
Todd Hart
Get Back Up Three simple words. But when put together, they convey a very strong message. Our “community” – those of us who have, and continue to battle, neurological conditions, cancer, etc., feel a connection and bond that many times is difficult to articulate. It... 
Sandra Ricker
I was looking forward to enjoying the next steps in my life after retirement, when a painful and sudden incident began to paint a dark cloud over these dreams. Just over two years ago, I was enjoying a play with friends and family when standing up to leave the theater... 
Inspiring Stories: Dr. Matthew Mbanga
As a high schooler, Dr. Matthew Mbanga, a native of Zimbabwe, competed in international tournaments in both rugby and waterpolo, earning him Sportsman of the Year at an elite all-boy’s private high school in Harare, Zimbabwe. From there, he captained a university... 
Lainie Ishbia
If you ask any elementary school age student what the highlight of their day was, the answer is almost always “recess.”But that was never the case for me as a young girl. Unlike my peers—who literally counted down the minutes until they could run, jump and play—I... 
TeamUP Junior Co-Captain Adam Luke Featured by Lafayette’s KLFY
One of the newest (and youngest) members of the TeamUP co-captain roster, Adam Luke, recently got the chance to tell his story to his hometown news team at KLFY. He and his mother, Kellie, spoke with reporters about Adam’s journey to get back up, from being... 
Inspiring Stories: Jamie Jazdzyk
In 2016, Jamie Jazdzyk’s life changed. Jamie, a lifelong athlete with a career in brand strategy, woke up one night and upon trying to stand, fell over. She had lost sensation in her lower legs and couldn’t button her shirt. She soon discovered that she had CIDP... 
Inspiring Stories: Brittany Quiroz — “A Hot MS”
For years, Brittany Quiroz could sense that something wasn’t quite right with her body. Among the various symptoms she was experiencing, she was losing the ability to control her left leg, which led to daily tripping and falling. She didn’t think much of it until... 
Staying Positive in Dark Times
After the attack that nearly claimed her life left her paralyzed on her right side, Becky Piper faced a tough road to recovery. Though today her friends and family know her as an unwaveringly positive, upbeat person, that outlook didn’t come easy. In addition to the... 
Aika Yoshida
If you asked me all the sports I used to play, it might be easier to tell which ones I didn’t play. From my first love of trail running and marathon races, I branched out to mountain biking, rock climbing, equestrian, skiing, snowboarding, and yoga. I’ve been an...
Craig Vogtsberger
I stood on the side of the mountain looking back to how far I had come. I was tired, exhausted, and in pain. I was done. Standing here, the incline was so steep, I could only place part of my boot in the snow. I’m glad I had the trekking poles. Those and my good leg... 
Inspiring Stories: Kay Ashton
Kay Ashton lives with neurofibromas (NF) – a genetic condition that causes tumors to grow on the nerve endings. The NF led to scoliosis (curvature of the spine) and now as a result of these two conditions, Kay has foot drop. She also happens to have fallen arches... 
A Caregiver’s Perspective: Sam Piper
When TeamUP co-captain Becky Piper suffered the home invasion attack that would forever change her life, her husband, Sam, knew his life would never be the same either. The aftermath of the attack, which lead to Becky’s development of several debilitating... 
TeamUP Co-Captain Steven Peace Featured by TeamUSA
When Steven Peace suffered a Stroke will serving in the US Navy in 2006, he never imagined he’d return to his love of cycling. It wasn’t until he discovered a three-wheeled version of a racing bicycle he calls his “trike” that his luck... 
Inspiring Stories: Madeline Jarrett
Madeline has Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT). As a result, she has had mild foot drop since she was in middle school. She first began experiencing more significant foot drop when she was 16. This was after she dislocated the patella in her right leg for the first time...
