I am a Law Enforcement Officer. A “street cop”. I have disabilities. To the naked eye, you wouldn’t know. I call them “hidden disabilities”. I was born with a couple, potentially related, congenital birth defects. One is Clubfoot. It’s a lower limb...
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...
My name is Steven Peace, I’m currently 47 years old and a retired US Navy Lieutenant Commander. I put 16 years in with the Navy. I was healthy and an avid bicyclist, riding 125 miles a week to stay in shape. I had progressed in the ranks rapidly, enlisting in...
This year, the NOBULL CrossFit® Games added a new category – the adaptive division. For Letchen Du Plessis, who suffered an injury so severe that it was unclear whether she’d ever walk again, this was an opportunity to test just how far she had come. While Letchen...
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...
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...
I’ve always loved mountain biking. Since I got my first bike in 1988, a Diamondback Ascent (rigid fork, no suspension), I fell in love with riding on trails Looking back, that was the wrong bike to be doing what I did with it, but there wasn’t...
I used to think I was invincible. That was, of course, until a chance accident left me without the use of my left leg. Little did I know that I would soon begin a three year-long journey to even get a proper diagnosis of my injury—let alone return to an active,...
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...
When I was 15 years old I was diagnosed with a rare and acute brain abnormality known as an Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM). To address this life threatening malformation, I underwent invasive brain surgery at the age of 16. The surgery was a success in eliminating...
The following is a recent update from TeamUP Co-Captain Steven Peace, who has been a long-term advocate for people living with mobility challenges. When a severe stroke unexpectedly derailed his career in the US Navy, Steven found that competitive cycling was a key...
Don’t be afraid to fail. Be afraid to not try. Life is one big adventure after another. That is how I am treating my disability. Almost three years ago, my husband was stationed in Guam while in the Navy and I was over there with him. We were living life to the...
I’ve always loved mountain biking. Since I got my first bike in 1988, a Diamondback Ascent (rigid fork, no suspension), I fell in love with riding on trails Looking back, that was the wrong bike to be doing what I did with it, but there wasn’t...
My son is a talented athlete, holding national records in discus and long jump. He loves to sing and loves being outdoors. He is a caring brother and a loving son, and can be extremely sweet (when he wants to be!). He is also a pediatric stroke survivor! I’m guessing...
When I was young, riding my bike 2-3 miles to a friend’s house to do homework or play a sport, I never would/could have dreamed this would be such an integral part of my life. Even more so, the bicycle/tricycle would become what I am known for as an athlete, “trike...