In January 2022, Anneliese woke up to severe pain in her legs. It wasn’t long after she lost the ability to move her toes and was struggling to walk. 24 hours later, she was a quadriplegic fighting for her life in the ICU. She was eventually diagnosed with an autoimmune condition, Guillain-Barre Syndrome.

Throughout her rehab, Anneliese found her community through adaptive sports. Anneliese says the first time she played an adaptive sport was the most free she had felt since her diagnosis. It allowed her to feel like herself again. Anneliese was borrowing a basketball wheelchair, but this chair is does not fit her properly. While this gives her the freedom to be an active member of her adaptive sports community, the chair often causes unnecessary pain.

A Victory Scholarship allowed Anneliese to get her own basketball wheelchair that fits her properly!

“The Victory Scholarship means access to adaptive sports and a way to reconnect with my true self after becoming a wheelchair user. Not only does this scholarship give me safe access to the courts, but it will help give me a home in the adaptive sports community.”