TeamUP Community
Featured Blog Stories
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... 
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... 
Lisa Victorius – Boston or Bust!
Following her debilitating injury in college which led to foot drop, Lisa shares her latest comeback story. Wednesday, March 25, 2009 – I had just finished a pool workout and was running 800m repeats with hurdles to practice for the steeplechase (a track race... 
Wendy Garrett
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,... 
Billy Lister
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... 
A Beginning to the Safe Return to Racing
I stood looking out at the water and thinking about the next sixty to seventy-five minutes. A lot can go wrong in that time, but all I could focus on was what was in my control. The Challenge Daytona 2020 would be my first and only race of 2020 due to the pandemic. I... 
US Navy Veteran Steven Peace Shares His Story
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... 
Steven Peace – What A Wonderful Ride
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... 
National Foot Drop Awareness Day 2019
National Foot Drop Awareness Day 2019 is almost here! On September 20th, we’ll be celebrating all the ways in which the global Get Back UP Today community has refused to let Foot Drop stand in the way of a happy, healthy life. From the TeamUSA Paralympians... 
First Responders with Disabilities
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...
National Foot Drop Awareness Day 2019
National Foot Drop Awareness Day 2019 is almost here! On September 20th, we’ll be celebrating all the ways in which the global Get Back UP Today community has refused to let Foot Drop stand in the way of a happy, healthy life. From the TeamUSA Paralympians... 
Power of Adaptive Sports: Letchen Du Plessis Comes Full Circle
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...
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... 
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... 
Darren Smith – My Journey Through XTERRA as a Para-Triathlete
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...
