Alana Nichols, Cardiff ReefSan Diego North County,CAPhoto by Robert Beck for ESPN / Alanajanenichols.com
Alana Jane Nichols was already an accomplished athlete, on her way to college with a softball scholarship, when she attempted a backflip snowboarding. She landed on her back, directly on top of a rock, and was left with a spinal cord injury that changed her life forever. As a paraplegic, Alana took her athleticism to adaptive sports instead of giving up on athletics altogether. She quickly became a top Olympic competitor in skiing, wheelchair basketball and sprint kayaking. Now, Alana’s caught the bug and took up surfing. She’s one of a few females competing in adaptive surfing, helping pave the way for more women to build the sport. In this podcast, she shares her story as well as taking us through how she gets into the water and rides waves even without the use of her legs.
Editor’s Note: You can subscribe to the Wild Ideas Worth Living podcast on iTunes here.
