Intro The Paralympics start in a little more than a week back in Paris, France and we had athletes from team Idaho competing. One of them is Lindy Markinson, an athlete who lost her leg in 2017. Here's her story on her way to Paris. Every step moves. Lindy Marcuson forward. Movement is so special to me. Being an athlete is who she is. I got to the point with gymnastics where I was at a very high level for me, it's one of the best ways to connect with myself and to ground myself in, in the world. In 2017, her world changed forever on September 13th, 2017, I woke up and it was the third day after getting back from my honeymoon with my husband and I, I moved in with him in Sun Valley and the timeline isn't put together yet and I don't think it ever will. I had mechanical failure in my car. Um, my front tire blew on a two lane highway and caused me to veer into oncoming traffic and I was hit by a Ford F 350 hauling tobacco and a little Honda Accord. The Accident Lindy was severely hurt and was life flighted to ST Alphonsus. In Boise, she suffered a brain injury and had to have her leg amputated. They saved, they saved my life and I, all the decisions they made were the right ones and were able to give second chance a second chance. But a major setback. I was so disappointed that I was starting from zero again. I was starting from absolute zero for years. Lindy had to relearn how to do a lot, including riding, walking, driving, and eventually running good recovery. I've gotten to the point where I've fully accepted what's happened and it's just, it was just an event in my life a year and a half after her accident, she's running to a new beat. I have a prosthetic leg. And so that is like a race car and it has to be tuned up, dialed in and it's a constant constant thing that you're tweaking. Lindy got connected with Paris Sports Spokane. We use sport as a catalyst for life. Uh, so we, we work with athletes on their athletic goals no matter how big or small that they are. They saw beyond her disability and saw her ability, a drive grit determination, unwavering focus. It could go on for a while. Uh, she just, she wants to work, she wants to learn, she has a growth mindset. Team USA A drive that propelled her to break barriers and records in the sport as well as earn her spot on team USA in the 2024 Paris Paralympics. I don't think you can put it into words, what an honor it is to, to represent Spokane, to represent Pasport Spokane and then to represent USA at the Paralympic Games that it's just incredible. Some may let an accident to find who they are not. For Lindy. She's charting her own path one step at a time. I just thought my world was over as an athlete and the title athlete is so important to me and means so much to me as an individual and for them to be there to just guide me through, reclaiming that identity in a new way is just like it's so special.