December 20– a day where people are running around doing last minute decorating, last minute shopping and the day many kids are finally done with school until after the new year.

 December 20, 1995 – A date I don’t remember at all but it was a date that forever changed not only my life but my families life as well. The night of December 19, 1995 -My parents put me to bed as a healthy baby girl who was just learning how to crawl and roll over. On the morning of December 20, 1995 – my parents went in to check on me and something had clearly happened over the course of the night. They found me that morning laying there as as a helpless baby, unable to move any of my limbs.

No parents are ever prepared to hear the words, “Your daughter is paralyzed.” With my diagnosis being Transverse Myelitis, not many doctors had much information on it at the time. My parents took in all the information that was available and decided they weren’t going to let this situation define me or let it define our family. Little did they know what the rest of our lives had in store.

If you asked me anything about December 20, 1995 when I was little – I would say, “what, nothing happened- its no big deal.” But in reality it is. When I saw myself, I didn’t see my disability because I was able to do everything, just in a different way. I still had the ability to control who I was going to become and what I was going to do with my life. Each of us has a story in life, something that makes us different from each other. And this just so happened to be mine, so why not embrace it? Since my wheelchair is something I have grown up with my whole life- It’s been way more than a mobility device to help me get a around, it’s been a lifestyle. A lifestyle that’s made me who I am today.

The way I view life is as a deck of cards- each of us will be dealt different cards throughout our life. I have no doubt in my mind that everyone is dealt with some kind of “disability” in life- some just may be more visible than others but we each have them. We have the opportunity to take what we are given and create it into so much more. Our individual “disabilities” are what defines each of us. It’s not about what disability we may have as a person but it’s how we respond to it.  We can take two paths. The first being that you tell your self there is no way to overcome and surpass it. You can sit around and feel sorry for yourself and watch your life pass by. If we keep focusing on the abilities we don’t have, we quickly forget all the abilities we do have. The second option is accepting what happened, looking at life and asking yourself what can you do with the situation on the table to help not only yourself but others around you. We go through life and things happen- many being things that we cant control. Storms pass by and we don’t know how long that storm will last but we do have the power to keep our heads up and look for the sun thats trying to shine through, even if it’s only a little.Our lives are shaped by the light we let through.

Since I remember absolutely nothing about December 20, 1995- I refer to it as “The day I got my wings.” I can confidently sit here and tell you that I have experienced way more than I ever thought was possible for an 18 year old. Don’t get me wrong, there are days I think about how my life would be different if I wasn’t in a chair. I don’t think it’s a bad thing to think about stuff life that because I go from that to thinking about my life now and all the opportunities I have had. I have been able to meet people who have inspired me, I have traveled to places I used to never know existed, I have been able to take the cards I have been dealt and make them into something great.

 December 20, 2015– A day to celebrate what life has given me.

“To live with purpose. To say the courageous things. To celebrate the simple gifts. To follow your dreams. This is a happy life.”

MK

I cant believe I started writing this while sitting outside on my back porch. I was not expecting to be able to stand the cooler weather. The tree’s may be bare and we may have to layer up a bit more but  Chicago weather really is beautiful right about now. I have to admit though- I have definitely taken for granted the luxury of being able to train outdoors since I have been in Tucson. It was a good preview of what is to come while I’m home for a month during Christmas. Having to swim indoors and being on the bike trainer is so different. Anyways, a lot has happened since the last time I wrote-

Yes, Melissa Stockwell is an IRONMAN!!!! For those of you who don’t know, an ironman consists of a 2.4 mile swim, 112 bike bike, and a 26.2 mile run! I was lucky enough to be able to watch her accomplish her goal and let me tell you- it was amazing! I got the chills watching her run down the shoot – holding the flag above her head with a big smile on her face. I’m so proud of everything she has accomplished and to be able to call her a friend.

I’m so excited to announce that I have teamed up with PR Nutrition to be one of their brand ambassadors! PR Nutrition Bar’s are the official Performance Bar of the U.S Olympic and Paralympic Teams. If you haven’t already, go out and try the bars! They are so delicious and are perfect for before or after a training session! Their website is prnutrition.com and if you order online- you can use the promo code mkcallahan15 to recieve 15% off your order!

Being home and seeing all my friends and family was so refreshing… just what the doctor ordered. I tried to see as many people as possible since its been a whole 3 months since I last saw most of my friends! I had so much fun with them while I was home and cannot wait to be able to spend more time with them over winter break. I was reminded that some friendships are just too important and that even though we were gone for 3 months, it seemed like no time had passed when we were all back together.

I couldn’t go home for Thanksgiving and not participate in some kind of Thanksgiving Day Race. My dad and brother always play football in the morning on Thanksgiving Day so the girls decided to do a local 5k. The 5k was right in La Grange, I didn’t even have to get on a plane or in a car to get there!! I was also lucky enough to have my mom and one of her best friends there with me! While I was racing, they both walked the 5k. It was nice to be able to go out at race pace and see where I was at in my 5k. Dont worry, I made sure we were home in time to watch Keri in the Macy’s Day Parade 🙂

With being home, I had to be somewhat productive with checking things off my “to-do list.” I went to The Bike Rack in St. Charles, IL and was measured for my new hand-cycle! As some of you know, my hand-cycle that I have now doesn’t always like to cooperate with me. |’m hoping since we placed the order before December, it will be in mid-January, before I head back to Tucson from Winter Break. The plan is to get in some solid training and work out all the kinks on the new bike. I want to be able to both  Tritonman (San Diego)  and South Beach (Miami, Fl) on it before Nationals in May- fingers crossed that all goes as planned. Let me tell you….the hardest decision was picking out the color. I couldn’t have it clash with my racing chair color so you’ll have to wait and see what the final decision was.

I start my training with Mark Sortino tomorrow and I could not be happier. Going over  my training plans for the next weeks is already bringing my training anxiety down.

CONGRATS TO THE FENWICK SWIMMERS FOR HAVING AN AWESOME 2013 SEASON AND A GREAT STATE MEET! I can’t believe it has already been a year since history was changed in Illinois, allowing disabled swimmers to be able to compete in the state championship! Although I was still in Tucson for the meet, I proudly wore my Fenwick shirt watching them dominate the meet online.  I did get a little teary eyed when the meet started. That meet will always hold a special place in heart.

Well… finals start next week which means I should probably get back to studying! Cant believe my first semester of college is coming to an end! It’s been a whirlwind but I cant wait to see what’s next! Sometimes I catch myself thinking about the future too much. I came to a conclusion: I have to worry about the present and doing what makes me happy now, everything else will fall into place. With New Years just around the corner, has everyone been thinking of some New Years resolutions? I know I have!

To my college friends reading this: stop procrastinating and get back to studying for your finals… love you guys though!

The International Paralympic Committee released it’s new video today celebrating the Paralympic movement. Click Here to view the amazing video.

“Set your goals high and don’t stop till you get there”

MK

As I’m on my flight home for Thanksgiving Break I realized I sometimes don’t give nearly enough thanks to the people in my life who deserve it most. With Thanksgiving only a few days away I thought this was a good time to express my gratitude to those who stand by my side to allow me to follow my dreams!

To my whole family- You guys are some of my biggest fans. I know you guys will have my backs no matter how crazy my ideas may be. You have endured many early mornings at races. You have had to hear me leaving the house at 5:00 AM for practices. You have spent hours driving with me to practices and sitting through races…even when weather conditions aren’t that great. You always made sure my travel plans were planned out to the last detail. You have cheered your hearts out as I come into every finish line. You have been with me during defeat to help me pick myself back up to keep going. You are the people that remind me that no dream is too big. You guys are my rock.

To all my friends- you guys help me keep my balance. You guys always remind me that I don’t have to be so serious all the time and that a little fun will never hurt. You guys are there when I need to talk through decisions to help me weigh out the pro’s and con’s. You guys are the ones that willinngly listen to me when I talk about my races and practices. You guys are the ones that endure all the quotes I send weekly….or daily :).

To my coaches and teammates- you guys push me everyday. You remind me that there is always room for improvement and that if you set your mind to something- it really is possible. You guys share insight you have on ways I can improve or things I can change. You guys are the ones who I can share all my pre-race jitters with. You guys are some of the main reasons I love this sport.

I hope everyone enjoys Thanksgiving with all their friends and family. And if you get a chance- make sure you thank all the special people in your life.

“There is always something to be thankful for”

MK

 

 

I finally decided to actually start blogging!! I’m so excited to share all my training stories, race recaps and just stories about my life as a student/athlete and sorority girl (my schedule isn’t that busy 🙂 ).

Anyways, I began my freshmen year at The University of Arizona back in August (cant believe its been three months). I came to Arizona to get out of the Chicago weather but also because it provides the ideal area for me to train. When picking Arizona, I had to think long term goals. I can’t say it was an easy decision considering a majority of my friends were staying in the midwest or going to school with people they knew. I decided to fly solo into this new adventure. I was ready to take on this journey and see where it was going to take me.

I’m training with the triathlon team on campus, the TriCats. It’s so nice to be able to train with a group of people- just like I did when I was at home. I did my first triathlon as a TriCat back in September. That day I had so much fun racing. When I crossed the finish line I remembered why I love this sport so much! Back to the race though: There were no other Tri-1 females competing so I knew I would just be racing against myself and the clock. My swim felt great and but by the time I was out of the water I could feel the Arizona heat. Since the paratri’s went out the last wave the swim exit was kind of crazy with age groupers coming out of the water and our handlers trying to find us to get us to T1. My T1 was great and I was out on the bike! The bike has been my main focus these past few months, just trying to get stronger. The bike course was so fun (yes, fun!). I was able to keep my pace and I loved seeing all the TriCats out on the bike. What’s a race without some kind of surprise? After I got out of T2 I was ready to rock the run. About 1/4 mile of the way out on the run I realize there was on/off patches of packed sand for about a mile. Sand + Racing chairs don’t go well together but it is what it is so I just pushed through it. The rest of the run went smooth and coming across the finish line I heard “Mary Kate Callahan…. A member of TriCats.” A Paratriathlete competing with their college team… it just shows how much Paratriathlon has grown over the past few years.

With the government shutdown effecting my traveling plans for one of my races in October- I made a last minute decision to go back to Chicago for a couple of days! Let me tell you… it was much needed! My body was worn out for the daily routine of training, classes and studying and I missed my family so much. My friends were all home the weekend before so I didn’t get to see any of them but being back home felt so good! My queen bed has never felt so comfy and it was so nice not having to drive for a couple of days. I was able to meet up with Keri to go for a nice little run a long the lakefront ( I cant believe how much I missed being able to run in the city). Three days went way too fast and I was on my way back to Tucson. I’m so excited to home for a few more days during Thanksgiving Break. I haven’t decided if I’ll smile, laugh, or cry when I see all my friends over break but I cannot wait. I have missed them so much. Besides my family, coaches, and my teammates from all around the country- my friends are some of my biggest supporters. They are always there to laugh, cry, and cheer me on. Love you Guys!

I am so excited to start working with Mark Sortino starting in December as my new triathlon coach. Mark is part of the Multisport Performance Institute (Team MPI) and has been the coach for the Paratriathlon National Team for a few years. I met Mark when I went to a High Performance Training Camp before World Championships at the Colorado Olympic Training Center and he was one of our coaches in New Zealand for World Championships. Not only will he be working with me to set my workouts and provide feedback but he’ll be able to help me set my race schedule for the upcoming seasons. If you cant tell by now.. I’m just really excited with how everything is turning out and I already cant wait for race season to begin! If you follow me on twitter- you know how I constantly talk about how AWESOME the triathlon community is. I really mean it- there are so many great people involved in this sport and everyone is always looking out for each other.

I competed in my first 1500 m. open water race in the beginning of November. It was definitely a different feeling when I didn’t have to run into transition to jump on my hand-cycle but it was so fun! I think the cold water worked in my favor this time. Besides a few 5k’s and 10k’s in the November and December this was my last race until February.

One of the biggest adjustments from being away from home is learning how to adjust and fix my equipment when need be and figuring out the puzzle of fitting my hand cycle, racing chair and everyday wheelchair all in my car by myself. My dad and the local bike stores I trusted with both my hand cycle and racing chair back in Chicago are not around to help me so its been a lot of trial and error the past few months. I cant say I know how to do everything yet… but I almost have the basics down. I’m not going to lie – I have relied on google and FaceTime calls with my dad to figure a lot of it out but thats what  technology is for… right? Being in Tucson (where roads aren’t the best) I quickly learned how to change flats on my racing chair. I had always carried the CO2 cartridges with me in Chicago but I now know how to actually use them!

School… yes I do go to school. Right now I’m in a lot of gen ed classes but they are going well. My class schedule is great because it allows me to be able to workout in the morning as well as the afternoon.  Funny story… The first day of classes I went to the building only to find out the elevator was broke. I guess my bad elevator luck came with me all the way to Arizona. If I’m not in class or doing a workout, I’m studying or doing homework. I have some great professors and I’m looking forward to having more of a selection with my classes next semester.

“Failure will never overtake me if my determination to succeed is strong enough”

Until next time,

MK