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Featured Blog Stories
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... 
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... 
Fierce Athlete Works to Overcome Odds
TeamUP Co-Captain and founder of Get Back UP Today, Beth Deloria, developed paralysis in her lower leg in 2004 from spinal cord trauma caused by the “perfect storm” of birth defects she didn’t even know she had. This paralysis is a condition known as foot drop. Beth... 
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... 
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... 
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... 
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... 
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... 
A Veteran’s Story: Craig Vogtsberger
My name is Craig Vogtsberger and I come from a family of US military veterans. I served in the Army/Army National Guard from April 1995 to April 2003. In March 2001, I walked between two Humvees as they hit each other. I was crushed and trapped between them. I... 
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... 
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,...
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... 
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... 
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...
