38. Refusing Limits with Allysa Seely

Chronic illness can make your life feel filled with insurmountable obstacles. Pursuing your dreams, even in the face of health issues, may feel hopeless. But moving forward, even in small increments, you can accomplish great things. Just ask gold medalist Allysa Seely. Allysa grew up as a dancer and competitive athlete before health issues tried to sideline her. She spent three years advocating for herself as a teen and young adult, fighting to be listened to, before finally being diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS), Chiari Malformation, Basilar Invagination, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), and more. Allysa refused to let her diagnoses define her, and has become a two-time gold-medal winning paratriathlete at the 2016 and 2020 Paralympics. She shares how she’s been able to compete at such a high level with multiple chronic illnesses, and opens up about her hard journey in college to get a diagnosis. Allysa confides that she used all her “you can’t”s as fuel to move her forward in pursuit of her dream. She discusses her difficult decision about her amputation, and shares her tips for getting through hard days. Allysa’s story, and how she turned challenge into triumph in her life, is inspiring and encouraging for everyone living with chronic illness. As Allysa shows, there really are no limits. An inspiring and encouraging interview for anyone struggling with limitations or hardship. #TriAllysa #paraolympics #USAparatriathalon #triathalon #paratriathlete #amputation #EhlersDanlossyndromes #EhlersDanlos #ChiariMalformation #Chiari #POTS  #bendybodies #bendybodiespodcast #hypermobilitymd #JenniferMilner --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bendy-bodies/message Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices