Gold, Grit, and Going Again: Paralympic Champion Kate Brim on Resilience, Reinvention, and the Relentless Pursuit of Your Next Level

_*]:min-w-0 gap-3"> What would you do if a routine surgery left you paralyzed at 19 — and someone handed you a brochure for a nursing home? _*]:min-w-0 gap-3"> If you're Kate Brim, you say absolutely not — and then you go on to win Paralympic gold in Paris. This conversation will stop you in your tracks. In this deeply powerful episode of Empower HER Radio, Dr. Corey Winn sits down with Paralympic gold and bronze medalist Kate Brim — Team USA paracyclist, spinal cord injury survivor, adaptive sport advocate, and one of the most relentlessly resilient women you will ever hear. Adopted from Ukraine at age 4, raised by parents who refused to let limits define her, Kate was 19 years old and building a career in construction management when a routine back surgery for a herniated disc left her a quadriplegic overnight. What followed wasn't a story of loss — it was a masterclass in reinvention, radical self-belief, and the kind of grit that doesn't just survive adversity, it competes at the highest level on the world stage because of it. Kate takes us behind the scenes of her road to the Paris Paralympic Games — and nothing about it was clean. Three and a half weeks before competition: a cracked bike frame that no shop in Colorado would touch. A $40,000 hand cycle patched together with epoxy. A kidney infection so severe she spent two weeks in the hospital, lost 15 pounds, and came out barely able to sit. Type 1 diabetes. A GI condition so serious she now receives all of her nutrition intravenously through a process called Total Parenteral Nutrition (TPN) — a literal lifeline she manages 24/7, packs in checked luggage to compete internationally, and knows could one day cost her her life. She raced Paris anyway. She won gold by 7 seconds. And she is already training for LA. If you have ever used the words "I can't" — this episode is your permission slip to burn them. Beyond the medals, this conversation goes deep on what it actually means to build a life that is fully, unapologetically yours — even when circumstances strip away the original blueprint. Kate and Dr. Corey discuss access to rehabilitation and disability advocacy, the invisible support systems behind elite athletic performance, the emotional truth of dark seasons and how to move through them without bypassing them, and what it looks like to wake up every single day and choose to live fully with what you have. This is not a story about overcoming disability. This is a story about a woman who decided her life would be defined by what she chose — not what happened to her. [00:00] Introduction — Meet Kate Brim: Paralympic gold & bronze medalist, Team USA paracyclist, training for LA 2028 [00:47] Kate's origin story: adopted from Ukraine at age 4, raised with a push-past-your-limits mindset [01:45] The injury that changed everything: a routine back surgery at age 19 leaves Kate a quadriplegic [04:27] Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital — why access to elite rehab is life-changing (and not guaranteed) [07:49] Finding adaptive sport — wheelchair rugby and hand cycling become Kate's new world [13:09] The team behind the athlete: why Kate credits her community for every result on the podium [20:59] The Paris road: cervical spinal cord injury + Type 1 diabetes + kidney infection + a cracked $40K bike [29:17] The real cost of Paralympic sport — hand cycles, 7-month wait times, and the funding reality [34:44] Paris Paralympic Time Trial: "Just keep me moving." Gold by 7 seconds. [39:41] What Kate wishes able-bodied people understood about hard days, grief, and resilience If this episode lit something up in you — share it. Send it to the woman in your life who needs a reminder of what she is made of. Subscribe to Empower HER Radio with Dr. Corey Winn so you never miss a conversation that challenges you to rise. Leave a review and tell us what hit home. Follow Kate Brim and cheer her on as she trains for the LA Games — because women like Kate don't just deserve medals. They deserve a stadium full of people who know their story. You were made for more. Let's go. 🎙 Connect with Dr. Corey Winn   📧 Email: [email protected] 📞 Book a Free Call: www.coreywinn.com/freecall 📲 Instagram: @coreywinndpt 💼 LinkedIn: @coreywinn 🌐 Website: www.coreywinn.com ♿️ Nonprofit: www.thecarledwardfoundation.org   Be sure to follow Kate and her journey: IG: @quadkate