Last Friday was another awesome day as I got to speak with the second-year Physiotherapy students at the University of Alberta. Just like the previous visit, it was a fantastic experience, and I felt really lucky to share my story and help them understand cerebral palsy a little better.
During my talk, I explained how cerebral palsy affects me in everyday life, but also about all the amazing things I can do. I even had a presentation that showed photos and a video that details my journey—and they loved it! It felt great to see them so engaged. I think it helped them see that cerebral palsy doesn’t just have challenges but also comes with lots of strengths and abilities.
One of the cool parts was when they wanted to feel my limbs to understand how my muscles worked. I explained my stretching and strengthening routine that keeps me moving and helps me stay strong. Another important thing we discussed were my AFOs (ankle-foot orthoses). They’re such a big help because they support my walking and improve my range of motion, which is so important for me. The students seemed really interested in understanding how much they help me get around.
I also got to show videos of me walking in my Trexo robotic walking device. It’s pretty amazing how many steps I can now take with the Trexo! They had so many questions about it, and I loved telling them all about how it’s changed my life.
Sharing my journey with cerebral palsy—talking about the ups, the challenges, and everything in between—always feels special. And with future physios, I feel like I’m helping make a difference in how they’ll support people like me, someday. It was an awesome day, and I can’t wait to do more of these talks!