WEBVTT - Running and Redefining Strength with Shaunta-Maé Alexander 0:00:00.420 --> 0:00:03.990 One of the things that Tunde kept repeating to me 0:00:04.410 --> 0:00:07.410 while on this course was, " Pick your head up. I 0:00:07.410 --> 0:00:10.289 want you to see the beauty around you." Every time 0:00:10.289 --> 0:00:12.270 she said that, it took my mind off of the 0:00:12.270 --> 0:00:15.570 pain and on the moment that I was actually doing 0:00:15.570 --> 0:00:19.290 something that I never imagined for myself. I never saw 0:00:19.290 --> 0:00:21.480 myself running 13. 1 miles. 0:00:24.420 --> 0:00:27.390 Welcome to Set the Pace, the official podcast of New 0:00:27.390 --> 0:00:31.950 York Roadrunners presented by Peloton. I'm your host, Peloton instructor, 0:00:32.040 --> 0:00:35.310 Becs Gentry, and I am here today doing the show 0:00:35.310 --> 0:00:41.790 solo while Rob is busy CEOing. Yep. Well, I think 0:00:41.790 --> 0:00:44.669 it is kind of payback because I sort of left 0:00:44.670 --> 0:00:47.610 him solo for a couple of weeks there whilst I 0:00:47.610 --> 0:00:52.019 was busy vacationing and visiting my family in the Canary 0:00:52.020 --> 0:00:54.900 Islands and having some, I'm going to say it, self- 0:00:54.900 --> 0:00:59.070 professed, well- deserved time away from New York City. I 0:00:59.280 --> 0:01:03.150 have to say, the running there was absolutely phenomenal. I've been 0:01:03.150 --> 0:01:04.860 going there since I'm two years old. It looks like 0:01:04.860 --> 0:01:07.920 Mars when you land. Okay, I'm going to tell you 0:01:07.920 --> 0:01:10.350 that because if anyone ever chooses to go to Fuerteventura 0:01:10.350 --> 0:01:12.630 in the Canary Islands, as you come in to land, 0:01:12.840 --> 0:01:16.200 it is like the scape of Mars that you see 0:01:16.200 --> 0:01:22.260 in movies. The running is dry, windy; terrain is trail, 0:01:22.260 --> 0:01:30.929 sand, rocks, volcanic lava. It is challenging and divine. It 0:01:30.930 --> 0:01:35.068 threw everything my way, from tantrums and tears to absolutely 0:01:35.069 --> 0:01:39.840 fantastic strong runs on rolling hills, and most of them 0:01:40.110 --> 0:01:43.500 ended up either at my favorite juice bar or in 0:01:43.590 --> 0:01:47.460 the ocean with Tallulah. It was what the soul needed. 0:01:47.460 --> 0:01:50.610 And now we're back in New York and busy trying 0:01:50.610 --> 0:01:52.890 to crack away at a few more weeks of training, 0:01:53.190 --> 0:01:56.580 before Grandma's, which is going okay. I'm not going to 0:01:56.580 --> 0:01:58.380 go into it. It's going okay. It's not going as 0:01:58.380 --> 0:02:00.240 well as I'd like it to be going, so we 0:02:00.240 --> 0:02:03.630 might have to readdress some goals, but that's okay, because 0:02:03.630 --> 0:02:06.750 that's what goals are. You can address them, you can 0:02:06.750 --> 0:02:11.010 assess them, and you can reset them. Anyway, enough about me. 0:02:11.010 --> 0:02:16.020 We have a fantastic show here today. We have a 0:02:16.020 --> 0:02:22.230 lot of emotion and a lot of information for all 0:02:22.590 --> 0:02:27.030 humans on today's show. First up, we are going to 0:02:27.030 --> 0:02:31.740 hear the incredible story of Shaunta- Mae Alexander. She's an 0:02:31.740 --> 0:02:35.820 athlete, author, and speaker who has relearned how to walk 0:02:35.910 --> 0:02:41.010 and then run after being paralyzed twice. Yeah, I'll let 0:02:41.010 --> 0:02:44.280 that settle in. If you want to check out her 0:02:44.310 --> 0:02:48.330 Instagram and see a deep dive detail on her life 0:02:48.330 --> 0:02:52.889 story, please do so after the show. It will just 0:02:52.980 --> 0:02:58.590 enlighten you and a hundred percent it will inspire you 0:02:58.590 --> 0:03:04.290 in whatever you are doing in your life. After Shaunta- 0:03:04.290 --> 0:03:08.970 Mae, we have the dual board- certified dermatologist, Jane Yoo. 0:03:09.540 --> 0:03:11.220 She's going to be here to talk with Rob about 0:03:11.220 --> 0:03:15.810 everything you didn't know you needed to know about skincare 0:03:16.020 --> 0:03:19.650 for runners. Yeah, there's a lot there. A lot to 0:03:19.650 --> 0:03:23.549 unpack there, and critical information, as we said. You all 0:03:23.610 --> 0:03:25.620 need to be looking after your skin when we're doing 0:03:25.620 --> 0:03:29.790 those miles. Okay? So take notes. And then for those 0:03:29.790 --> 0:03:33.540 of you who might be coming off a recent marathon 0:03:33.540 --> 0:03:37.020 or half- marathon, Meb will be here with some advice 0:03:37.020 --> 0:03:42.570 on how to overcome your post- race blues, specifically half- 0:03:42.660 --> 0:03:46.890 marathon blues. I know, from coming back from London, there's 0:03:46.890 --> 0:03:51.990 definitely some post- marathon blues for Austin, although he didn't 0:03:51.990 --> 0:03:54.630 have the greatest of races; the weather, he had a 0:03:54.630 --> 0:03:58.140 back injury that sparked the night before the race, so 0:03:58.140 --> 0:04:02.400 he's definitely got some post- marathon redemption blues coming his 0:04:02.400 --> 0:04:05.280 way. So I cannot wait to listen to that part 0:04:05.280 --> 0:04:08.790 of the show myself as well. Try the Peloton app 0:04:08.790 --> 0:04:11.880 for free and access classes for every type of runner, 0:04:12.090 --> 0:04:14.880 whether you're training for your first race or you're a seasoned 0:04:14.880 --> 0:04:19.080 pro. From outdoor runs and intervals to strength yoga and 0:04:19.080 --> 0:04:22.860 stretching, you'll find the perfect fit for every part of 0:04:22.860 --> 0:04:25.950 your routine. Whether it's a long run day or you 0:04:25.950 --> 0:04:29.339 just need a quick five- minute reset, the Peloton app 0:04:29.430 --> 0:04:31.830 meets you where you are and helps you become a 0:04:31.830 --> 0:04:36.300 stronger, faster runner, because it's designed for someone like you. 0:04:36.930 --> 0:04:39.839 Try the app free for 30 days and download it 0:04:39.839 --> 0:04:44.310 now from App Store or Google Play. Terms apply. Peloton, 0:04:44.640 --> 0:04:48.750 the official digital fitness partner for New York Roadrunners. Shaunta- 0:04:48.750 --> 0:04:53.100 Mae Alexander is a disabled adaptive athlete. She is also 0:04:53.279 --> 0:04:59.040 a children's book author, an actress, and an advocate. Diagnosed 0:04:59.040 --> 0:05:02.250 with Crohn's disease as a teenager, she has survived countless 0:05:02.250 --> 0:05:06.720 medical setbacks including two episodes of paralysis, and now uses 0:05:06.720 --> 0:05:10.050 a feeding tube to stay alive. But this past March, 0:05:10.050 --> 0:05:15.450 a mere two years after relearning how to walk, she 0:05:15.450 --> 0:05:21.060 completed the United Airlines NYC Half with my fellow Peloton 0:05:21.060 --> 0:05:26.670 instructor, Tunde Oyeneyin, by her side. Shaunta- Mae is the embodiment 0:05:26.790 --> 0:05:31.020 of purpose and perseverance, and she is here today to 0:05:31.020 --> 0:05:34.740 talk to us about what is possible when you run 0:05:34.800 --> 0:05:40.680 your own race. Shaunta- Mae, I am beyond honored to 0:05:40.680 --> 0:05:43.740 have you here as a guest on Set the Pace 0:05:43.740 --> 0:05:47.130 today. Thank you for sharing your time with us and 0:05:47.490 --> 0:05:51.839 for sharing your story with us. You are unbelievable. I 0:05:51.839 --> 0:05:54.870 love seeing your smiling face in the studio. I love 0:05:55.020 --> 0:05:59.370 seeing Tunde coming in after class saying, " That girl does 0:05:59.370 --> 0:06:05.610 not know chill." How are you today? 0:06:05.760 --> 0:06:08.940 I am well. I'm well. I'm feeling good. Yeah, I'm 0:06:08.940 --> 0:06:12.029 grateful to be here. I'm grateful to share space with 0:06:12.029 --> 0:06:16.620 you all and to continue to share my story and 0:06:17.760 --> 0:06:19.320 encourage so many people. 0:06:20.849 --> 0:06:24.720 You do. You truly, truly do with everything you do, 0:06:24.720 --> 0:06:27.930 and I'm sure there's been many times in your life 0:06:27.930 --> 0:06:31.830 where you have thought, " There's no way anyone else is 0:06:31.830 --> 0:06:35.490 going through this. There's no way my story can help 0:06:35.490 --> 0:06:38.969 anyone else." And then you come to another part in 0:06:38.970 --> 0:06:42.960 your journey and realize that there are hundreds and thousands 0:06:42.960 --> 0:06:47.850 and more faces who are watching out for you, to 0:06:47.850 --> 0:06:52.529 see your smile, to see you get through. Let's dive 0:06:52.529 --> 0:06:56.370 into that. Let's dive into you. Who is Shaunta- Mae 0:06:56.460 --> 0:07:02.640 Alexander and what was your relationship to moving, in any 0:07:02.640 --> 0:07:07.020 capacity that you desire to talk about. As a kid, 0:07:07.050 --> 0:07:09.360 you grew up in foster care. Is that correct? 0:07:09.630 --> 0:07:09.870 Yes. 0:07:10.530 --> 0:07:14.070 Yeah. Was there movement in your life? What was it like? 0:07:15.570 --> 0:07:19.530 Growing up in foster care was not easy at all. 0:07:19.530 --> 0:07:26.130 I had a very, very rough childhood. My foster homes 0:07:26.130 --> 0:07:33.120 were not the best, and that's putting it lightly. I used 0:07:33.120 --> 0:07:37.680 movement as it related to sports as one of my 0:07:37.680 --> 0:07:42.480 outlets. I also used acting as one of my outlets. 0:07:43.560 --> 0:07:47.370 I started acting when I was about five years old in little 0:07:47.370 --> 0:07:53.250 school plays and things, and running, probably around the same 0:07:53.250 --> 0:07:57.690 time. As a kid, running was a way for me 0:07:57.690 --> 0:08:02.760 to ... Running and playing basketball was a way for me to just expel all of 0:08:02.790 --> 0:08:07.050 the negative energy and all of the trauma and pain 0:08:07.050 --> 0:08:09.780 that I was enduring in these homes that I could 0:08:09.780 --> 0:08:15.030 not express inside the home. So being viewed at school, 0:08:15.090 --> 0:08:18.810 on the playground with other kids sometimes and then other times 0:08:18.810 --> 0:08:22.320 just by myself, I was able to run and get 0:08:22.320 --> 0:08:24.900 that all out. I was able to do the same 0:08:24.900 --> 0:08:30.960 thing with acting. Acting was a way for me to take on another person, 0:08:30.960 --> 0:08:34.860 another character's life as my own. It was a way for me to escape 0:08:34.860 --> 0:08:38.670 my own reality. And so I fell in love with 0:08:39.510 --> 0:08:44.220 all of it. Basketball as well. Basketball, I like to 0:08:44.220 --> 0:08:50.880 say basketball was my first taste of self- advocacy as 0:08:50.880 --> 0:08:54.569 a kid, because growing up as a little girl, especially 0:08:54.570 --> 0:09:00.660 back in the nineties, playing basketball was technically a boys 0:09:00.660 --> 0:09:03.630 sport. Girls can't play basketball. They don't know how to 0:09:03.630 --> 0:09:07.650 play basketball. And so for me, I was like, " That's 0:09:07.650 --> 0:09:10.590 fine. I'll show you." And so I would sit and I would 0:09:10.590 --> 0:09:13.260 watch the boys play basketball and I would play the 0:09:13.260 --> 0:09:16.710 little games on the Sega Genesis and all of that, so 0:09:16.710 --> 0:09:19.620 that I could learn the techniques. And then I'd get back 0:09:19.620 --> 0:09:22.230 out there and I'd ball out and I'd hoop and 0:09:23.250 --> 0:09:26.100 they'd have no choice but to accept me. So that 0:09:26.100 --> 0:09:29.670 was a way for me to not only advocate for 0:09:29.670 --> 0:09:34.469 myself and make space and have a voice for myself 0:09:34.470 --> 0:09:37.530 that I didn't have within these homes, but it was also 0:09:37.530 --> 0:09:39.690 a way to show other girls. I didn't know it 0:09:39.690 --> 0:09:42.600 then, but it gave other girls at the time permission 0:09:42.600 --> 0:09:45.540 to do the same, " Well, if she's out there playing 0:09:45.929 --> 0:09:49.740 basketball when all these boys say it's not for girls, 0:09:49.740 --> 0:09:51.690 then I want to do it too." So that was 0:09:51.690 --> 0:09:56.640 my first taste, first taste in that. Movement has always 0:09:56.640 --> 0:10:02.309 been a part of my life. As far as the 0:10:02.309 --> 0:10:06.510 actual fitness aspect and weight training and lifting and all 0:10:06.510 --> 0:10:09.930 of those things, I was not a fan of that. I was not a fan of that. 0:10:11.700 --> 0:10:13.140 Just give me the ball so I can shoot it, so I can 0:10:13.860 --> 0:10:16.590 run up and down the court. Just give me my 100- 0:10:16.590 --> 0:10:20.189 meter hurdles, my 200s, my 400s, my long jumps, just 0:10:20.190 --> 0:10:22.229 give me that and I'm good. All of this weight 0:10:22.230 --> 0:10:26.220 training stuff, I'm not interested. Distance running, I'm not interested. 0:10:27.000 --> 0:10:32.550 Just give me the meat. But it wasn't until I 0:10:32.550 --> 0:10:39.630 lost my mobility, after having a colonoscopy for severe Crohn's 0:10:39.630 --> 0:10:44.729 flare that I was in and developed a rare reaction 0:10:44.880 --> 0:10:52.500 to the anesthesia that was used, that I found a 0:10:52.500 --> 0:10:57.900 new respect, a new, I guess you could say, gratitude 0:10:57.900 --> 0:11:01.980 for movement. When we have the ability of our limbs 0:11:01.980 --> 0:11:07.110 and the ability to speak and to think in our 0:11:07.110 --> 0:11:09.240 right minds and be able to do little things like 0:11:09.240 --> 0:11:13.020 picking things up and setting things down, tying your shoes, 0:11:13.230 --> 0:11:17.160 you take all of that for granted and you don't 0:11:17.160 --> 0:11:21.900 realize how special that really is, how privileged you really 0:11:21.900 --> 0:11:24.870 are to have those movements and those abilities until it's 0:11:24.870 --> 0:11:29.460 taken from you. And so when I lost my movement 0:11:29.460 --> 0:11:31.829 and I lost my ability to speak, and I lost 0:11:31.830 --> 0:11:37.410 my ability to form real tangible thoughts and not be 0:11:37.410 --> 0:11:40.050 able to articulate those the way that I wanted to, 0:11:42.120 --> 0:11:46.860 I just developed this gratitude. Specifically when it came to 0:11:46.890 --> 0:11:50.370 walking, I made a promise to God. I said, " God, 0:11:50.370 --> 0:11:53.670 if you restore my walking, if you restore my movement, 0:11:53.730 --> 0:11:56.250 I'll run like I've never ran before, I'll walk like 0:11:56.250 --> 0:11:58.679 I've never walked before, and I will dance like I've 0:11:58.679 --> 0:12:02.189 never danced before." That was the bow that I made 0:12:02.190 --> 0:12:05.490 to God, and He kept his end of the bargain 0:12:05.490 --> 0:12:11.189 and I kept mine. But what I was not ready 0:12:11.190 --> 0:12:14.400 for, what I was not prepared for, was falling in 0:12:14.400 --> 0:12:17.400 love with the sport and the process. This was just 0:12:17.400 --> 0:12:20.250 a vow that I originally made. I was just going to 0:12:20.250 --> 0:12:23.160 do that, but I actually fell in love with movement. 0:12:23.160 --> 0:12:25.260 I fell in love with running. I fell in love 0:12:25.260 --> 0:12:31.620 with cycling, which I didn't even know existed until 2022. 0:12:31.740 --> 0:12:33.300 And picking up weights? 0:12:34.110 --> 0:12:34.590 Nah. 0:12:37.290 --> 0:12:38.939 You couldn't get me to do it. You couldn't get 0:12:38.940 --> 0:12:43.319 me to do it. You couldn't bribe me. So this is 0:12:43.320 --> 0:12:48.000 not just a vow to God, it's a vow to myself. It's 0:12:48.270 --> 0:12:51.360 a way of saying thanks to my body every single 0:12:51.360 --> 0:12:58.319 day. It's a way for me to be the voice 0:12:58.320 --> 0:13:02.460 for so many people who are out there with disabilities 0:13:02.460 --> 0:13:07.380 and different abilities and children all over the world who have 0:13:07.380 --> 0:13:10.001 also had hard lives, whether in foster care, battered (inaudible) 0:13:10.001 --> 0:13:13.110 , being sick themselves. This is just a way for 0:13:13.110 --> 0:13:16.949 me to say, " Hey, you're not in this alone. I'm 0:13:16.950 --> 0:13:24.750 here with you." It's just a sum of everything working 0:13:24.750 --> 0:13:25.800 together for my good. 0:13:26.970 --> 0:13:31.140 Everything coming together and it all being sealed with that 0:13:31.140 --> 0:13:36.360 vow is so beautiful and so strong. Shaunta- Mae, just 0:13:36.360 --> 0:13:41.969 for our listeners who may not understand the severity of 0:13:42.480 --> 0:13:46.800 Crohn's and Crohn's disease, I feel like in this transient 0:13:46.800 --> 0:13:51.450 world we live in, many disease names are thrown around 0:13:51.450 --> 0:13:53.820 and people nod their heads as though they know exactly 0:13:53.820 --> 0:13:57.030 what it is. And then it doesn't affect them, so 0:13:57.030 --> 0:14:00.240 they don't really know what it is. Just explain to 0:14:00.240 --> 0:14:06.030 our audience quickly what Crohn's disease is and how your 0:14:06.870 --> 0:14:11.940 situation took the turn, not how but why, let's say, 0:14:11.940 --> 0:14:15.150 why it took the turn it did. Do you mind 0:14:15.150 --> 0:14:15.780 going into that? 0:14:15.780 --> 0:14:21.330 Sure, yeah. Crohn's disease is an autoimmune disease under the umbrella called 0:14:21.390 --> 0:14:25.500 IBD, which stands for inflammatory bowel disease. That is Crohn's 0:14:25.500 --> 0:14:32.910 disease, ulcerative colitis. Those are the sister conditions. Basically what 0:14:33.450 --> 0:14:38.250 Crohn's disease does is, your immune system attacks your digestive 0:14:38.250 --> 0:14:43.860 system anywhere from your mouth to your behind. Everything attached to 0:14:43.860 --> 0:14:48.390 your digestive system is attacked. So it causes stomach pain, 0:14:48.750 --> 0:15:01.350 internal bleeding, ulcers, nausea, malnutrition, lack of bowel control, all 0:15:01.350 --> 0:15:08.280 kinds of different nitty- gritty symptoms that basically aren't fun. 0:15:09.390 --> 0:15:14.160 It is debilitating. It's not fun. It's very excruciating. I 0:15:19.920 --> 0:15:23.700 got sick at the age of nine, but wasn't diagnosed 0:15:23.700 --> 0:15:28.740 until, I believe, I was 14 or 15 years old. 0:15:29.580 --> 0:15:29.581 Oh my gosh. 0:15:29.581 --> 0:15:33.960 So I went through middle school and high school sick. 0:15:35.130 --> 0:15:35.430 Oh my God. 0:15:35.970 --> 0:15:38.700 At that time, I didn't have the support, which is 0:15:38.700 --> 0:15:42.270 another reason why I advocate and do what I do 0:15:42.270 --> 0:15:46.320 now, because I felt alone in my process, as a 0:15:46.320 --> 0:15:49.050 kid, as a teen, in middle school and high school. 0:15:49.050 --> 0:15:52.050 You can only imagine how hard that can be, especially 0:15:52.050 --> 0:15:55.000 when kids don't understand. 0:15:55.000 --> 0:15:55.710 (inaudible) the pain and- 0:15:55.740 --> 0:16:00.570 Yeah. And so for me, what that looked like for 0:16:00.570 --> 0:16:06.570 me was having to bring an extra bag of clothes 0:16:07.770 --> 0:16:11.880 in case I used the bathroom on myself. I was 0:16:11.880 --> 0:16:17.280 in diapers in middle school and high school. Medication, having 0:16:17.280 --> 0:16:25.110 to pack my own food and then having to deal with 0:16:26.040 --> 0:16:31.920 the questions and the jokes and all the things about 0:16:31.920 --> 0:16:35.250 being small. I was very tiny, and at the time 0:16:35.250 --> 0:16:40.260 I didn't know it, but I was severely malnourished. And so, 0:16:42.030 --> 0:16:48.780 again, I just wish I'd had the me that I 0:16:48.780 --> 0:16:56.130 am now when I was going through this process. I 0:16:56.130 --> 0:17:00.330 think it's a beautiful time to share this and to 0:17:00.330 --> 0:17:03.570 share this journey and to share about Crohn's disease, especially 0:17:03.630 --> 0:17:09.840 because yesterday was World International IBD Day, Crohn's Disease Day, 0:17:10.710 --> 0:17:13.709 which I think is also crazy as well because it 0:17:13.800 --> 0:17:17.160 was also my birthday. I think it was kind of kismet. 0:17:17.160 --> 0:17:17.940 No. 0:17:17.970 --> 0:17:18.270 Yeah. 0:17:18.270 --> 0:17:20.070 Happy belated birthday. 0:17:20.100 --> 0:17:25.740 Thank you. Thank you. I think it was kismet. I think this was just part of something 0:17:25.740 --> 0:17:27.359 that was always going to be a part of my journey. 0:17:27.359 --> 0:17:33.659 But for those of you that are dealing with the symptoms and dealing 0:17:34.109 --> 0:17:38.190 with family members or friends or just know somebody that 0:17:38.190 --> 0:17:42.090 struggles with stomach issues, I just implore you, one, to 0:17:42.090 --> 0:17:45.600 make sure that you're advocating for yourself. Make sure that 0:17:45.600 --> 0:17:49.619 you're getting in with a GI team, not accepting no for 0:17:49.619 --> 0:17:54.720 an answer. That was a big part of my process 0:17:54.720 --> 0:17:57.210 because it took so long for me to be diagnosed. 0:17:57.630 --> 0:18:01.273 And that affected my mental state. There was a lot 0:18:01.275 --> 0:18:03.510 of times when these doctors would say that it was 0:18:03.840 --> 0:18:07.020 in my head or that it was stress related, and that's 0:18:07.080 --> 0:18:14.100 daunting, especially as a kid who is suffering. So I 0:18:14.100 --> 0:18:17.310 want you guys to advocate for yourselves. Don't give up. 0:18:18.720 --> 0:18:21.240 Know that this is not the end of your journey 0:18:22.230 --> 0:18:25.709 and that you can still have a beautiful and meaningful 0:18:25.709 --> 0:18:27.240 life with this condition. 0:18:27.540 --> 0:18:30.450 Absolutely. Look at your story. 0:18:30.480 --> 0:18:30.840 Yeah. 0:18:32.220 --> 0:18:37.169 So you had this terrible flare- up that ended up 0:18:37.170 --> 0:18:46.500 with you being hospitalized. Let's fast- forward a little bit 0:18:46.500 --> 0:18:53.129 to January 1st, 2022. That was after your second paralysis, 0:18:54.330 --> 0:18:58.650 and you've already kind of fought for your life. You've 0:18:58.650 --> 0:19:04.859 already fought to restart, to reset, to put every teeny 0:19:04.859 --> 0:19:13.230 tiny teeniest tiniest ounce of energy into standing up and 0:19:14.070 --> 0:19:17.640 saying no, or being like, "Uh- uh. I've got this. I've 0:19:17.640 --> 0:19:20.790 got this back." And then that's taken away from you 0:19:20.790 --> 0:19:26.100 again. What was going through your mind? You've already said 0:19:26.100 --> 0:19:31.080 it was so hard for you to talk, to explain 0:19:31.080 --> 0:19:34.770 your thoughts in your head. When you were alone in 0:19:34.770 --> 0:19:38.550 those moments of thinking, like, " Please God, this is the 0:19:38.550 --> 0:19:43.320 second time I'm going through this," how? How did you 0:19:43.320 --> 0:19:46.470 get that strength to just say, " I'm going to do 0:19:46.470 --> 0:19:47.129 this again"? 0:19:49.230 --> 0:19:53.790 It was extremely difficult. I went through ... especially the second 0:19:53.790 --> 0:19:58.440 time, I went through this deep, deep depression. At this 0:19:58.440 --> 0:20:05.700 point, I'm not quite 33 yet, and all I've known was 0:20:05.700 --> 0:20:12.930 trauma and pain and sickness and illness. When I relapsed 0:20:12.930 --> 0:20:16.080 with this condition for the second time, and I did 0:20:16.080 --> 0:20:20.159 not recover as quickly as I did the first time, 0:20:20.369 --> 0:20:22.770 I didn't get to my baseline as quickly as I 0:20:22.770 --> 0:20:26.820 did the first time, I was ready to fold in the towel. 0:20:27.929 --> 0:20:30.990 I was like, " I don't want this anymore. I don't 0:20:30.990 --> 0:20:36.540 want to fight anymore." I say often that people make 0:20:36.540 --> 0:20:40.709 New Year's resolutions and they declare new things for their 0:20:40.710 --> 0:20:44.670 new year and all of this, and I think that's 0:20:44.670 --> 0:20:48.660 beautiful. I love that people set intentions for themselves ahead 0:20:48.660 --> 0:20:50.820 of time. They see something and they want to go 0:20:50.820 --> 0:20:53.730 for it, and they do the work to make those 0:20:53.880 --> 0:21:00.270 intentions happen. For myself, I don't want to say I've 0:21:00.300 --> 0:21:04.380 never done it, but I don't necessarily subscribe to New 0:21:04.380 --> 0:21:07.409 Year's resolutions. For me, if I want to make a 0:21:07.410 --> 0:21:09.000 change, I'm going to make it now. As soon as 0:21:09.000 --> 0:21:11.490 I think it and I say I want to do something different, 0:21:11.490 --> 0:21:15.630 immediately I'm going into action on how I can put 0:21:15.630 --> 0:21:18.990 this forward, how I can set this forward. It just 0:21:18.990 --> 0:21:25.890 so happened that this thought process of, " I'm done allowing 0:21:25.890 --> 0:21:30.389 my disabilities to determine my quality of life. I'm done 0:21:30.630 --> 0:21:33.330 allowing my disabilities to rule my life for me," it 0:21:33.330 --> 0:21:38.489 just so happened that it happened to fall on January 1st of 2022. 0:21:38.550 --> 0:21:39.030 Wow. 0:21:41.010 --> 0:21:42.780 Crazy. I was, " Okay, well." 0:21:43.199 --> 0:21:43.200 Crazy. 0:21:43.200 --> 0:21:44.760 " Let's do it." 0:21:44.790 --> 0:21:44.938 Yeah. 0:21:45.119 --> 0:21:45.840 So I had- 0:21:45.959 --> 0:21:49.138 33 years of, " No, I'm not doing that." And then all of a sudden 0:21:49.650 --> 0:21:51.630 you're like, " Oh, this is the biggest one yet." 0:21:51.630 --> 0:21:57.240 Yeah. This is enough. Enough. Enough. I want to make my dreams a 0:21:57.240 --> 0:22:01.890 reality. I want to enjoy my life. I don't want 0:22:01.890 --> 0:22:06.510 to live suffering anymore. I don't want that anymore. So 0:22:07.350 --> 0:22:10.500 if that means that I have to act from my wheelchair, 0:22:10.530 --> 0:22:13.980 then I will act from my wheelchair. If that means 0:22:13.980 --> 0:22:17.040 that I am going to be on big stages and I have to do 0:22:17.520 --> 0:22:19.800 that from my wheelchair, I will do that. If that 0:22:19.800 --> 0:22:21.540 means I have to be an author from my chair, 0:22:21.540 --> 0:22:23.940 I'm going to do that. I'm going to be the 0:22:23.940 --> 0:22:30.990 strongest actress, author, motivational speaker from my wheelchair. Let's do 0:22:30.990 --> 0:22:34.980 it. I'm done. My disabilities ... And that is my motto. 0:22:34.980 --> 0:22:38.220 I live by it daily. I profess it daily. My 0:22:38.220 --> 0:22:43.800 disabilities do not disqualify me for my purpose. They don't. 0:22:46.020 --> 0:22:48.240 I have to do things differently, and that's okay. And 0:22:48.240 --> 0:22:53.490 I think when people begin to understand that there are 0:22:53.520 --> 0:22:57.660 different ways and different avenues to getting to your goals, to reaching 0:22:57.660 --> 0:23:03.750 your dreams, and knowing that your possibilities are endless despite 0:23:03.750 --> 0:23:07.709 what you're going through, despite your conditions, despite your life's 0:23:07.710 --> 0:23:15.359 circumstances, you really become unstoppable. And so I was doing 0:23:15.359 --> 0:23:19.290 this search on how I can become stronger, and I'm 0:23:19.290 --> 0:23:23.430 a huge fan of Cynthia Erivo. I've been a fan 0:23:23.430 --> 0:23:26.939 of hers since The Color Purple on Broadway, and I 0:23:26.940 --> 0:23:29.670 would see her getting on this thing called a Peloton 0:23:29.670 --> 0:23:41.280 bike. I'm like, " What is that? I want to do it. I want to do that. I like that. I like that. I 0:23:41.280 --> 0:23:45.419 want it. I need it." And so I did all the 0:23:45.420 --> 0:23:50.970 research and finding out what this thing called Peloton was and 0:23:51.450 --> 0:23:55.379 what it does and how I can use it to 0:23:55.590 --> 0:23:59.939 become a better, stronger version of myself, disabled and all. 0:24:00.660 --> 0:24:03.869 My god- sister had a Peloton as well. So I 0:24:03.869 --> 0:24:05.459 reached out to her and I was like, " Okay, so 0:24:05.459 --> 0:24:07.830 you have a Peloton. Tell me all about it. I'm 0:24:07.830 --> 0:24:09.540 thinking about getting one." She was just like, " Do it." 0:24:10.140 --> 0:24:10.949 That was all I needed. 0:24:12.210 --> 0:24:12.929 Without a thought. 0:24:14.040 --> 0:24:18.600 Without a second thought. Okay. So I downloaded the app and 0:24:18.780 --> 0:24:22.740 I was like, "Okay. So I don't have the bike. I can't 0:24:23.670 --> 0:24:27.090 do heavy weights or anything like that. I can't run. 0:24:27.090 --> 0:24:30.510 What can I do that's going to help build my 0:24:30.510 --> 0:24:35.820 strength?" Light weights. I can do those. I can do 0:24:35.820 --> 0:24:37.950 those from my chair. I can do a couple one, 0:24:37.950 --> 0:24:42.090 two, three pounds from my wheelchair. And so I went 0:24:42.090 --> 0:24:45.150 through the instructor list, all the instructors, and I said, " 0:24:45.150 --> 0:24:49.619 I want somebody that looks like me, that looks like 0:24:49.800 --> 0:24:53.070 they've been through some things and have come out on the other 0:24:53.070 --> 0:24:57.359 side." And I saw Tunde's picture and I was like, " 0:24:58.050 --> 0:25:02.250 Her." It was something about the light in her eyes. 0:25:02.790 --> 0:25:05.250 You could just see it. You could just see it. 0:25:05.250 --> 0:25:12.179 And so I hit start on that app and I 0:25:12.180 --> 0:25:16.680 would train every day. I would literally take three to 0:25:16.680 --> 0:25:20.429 five arms and lightweight classes a day. 0:25:23.100 --> 0:25:26.640 We know those are not easy classes from Ms. Oyeneyin. Thank you. 0:25:26.640 --> 0:25:29.550 They're not. They're not. I don't know. 0:25:29.850 --> 0:25:30.090 Uh-uh. 0:25:31.230 --> 0:25:31.650 I don't know. 0:25:32.460 --> 0:25:33.000 How she does it? 0:25:33.030 --> 0:25:36.690 I have no idea. I don't know. But I knew 0:25:36.900 --> 0:25:40.170 that every time I got into this class, her words 0:25:40.170 --> 0:25:46.140 were encouraging, and it just encouraged me to continue the fight. 0:25:47.940 --> 0:25:50.400 I felt stronger doing it. I felt the strongest I've 0:25:50.400 --> 0:25:51.030 ever felt. 0:25:51.030 --> 0:25:51.300 Absolutely. 0:25:52.859 --> 0:25:53.880 I haven't turned back since. 0:25:56.220 --> 0:25:59.580 We love it. We love it. Okay, but tell me 0:25:59.580 --> 0:26:04.050 though, with no matter what, no matter how many steps 0:26:04.050 --> 0:26:08.730 forward you get to take, you know, as a human, 0:26:08.760 --> 0:26:14.550 that your health is fragile. We all do. I hope 0:26:14.609 --> 0:26:18.570 that we all understand life is fragile, and from having 0:26:18.570 --> 0:26:20.850 the setbacks that you had with your health, I'm sure 0:26:20.850 --> 0:26:23.940 in the back of your mind you were thinking, " My 0:26:23.940 --> 0:26:27.359 health is more fragile than some other people, so I 0:26:27.359 --> 0:26:31.740 have to protect my power as it grows." How did 0:26:31.740 --> 0:26:37.409 you know that it was the right time to take 0:26:37.410 --> 0:26:39.960 all the steps you did? So you just talked about 0:26:39.960 --> 0:26:42.450 the steps with Tunde that encouraged you to do the arms 0:26:42.450 --> 0:26:45.510 and lightweights from your chair, and then the next step 0:26:45.510 --> 0:26:48.720 for you, well, not the next step, but a few 0:26:48.720 --> 0:26:52.408 steps later, but the next really big one was ... Shaunta- Mae, 0:26:53.520 --> 0:26:59.790 you decided to run. You believed you could and you 0:26:59.790 --> 0:27:05.700 did. But talk us through how you, not just physically, 0:27:05.700 --> 0:27:09.540 but mentally got to a place where you believed so 0:27:09.540 --> 0:27:19.020