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Meet Adaptive Athlete: BETHANY SMITH

 

 

Bethany Smith

 

DOB: June 11th, 1996

DOI: At birth

Injury: Spina Bifida & Hydrocephalus

22 Bethany Smith Headshot

Bethany was born with Spina Bifida and Hydrocephalus. At birth, her parents were told that she was never going to walk or even sit up on her own and that she would have mental impairments. As she grew, her parents prayed for healing and continued to raise her no differently than her older brother. 

 

As a kid, she was active, but remembers that some kids wouldn’t play with her because she walked with a limp and couldn’t keep up. By third grade, she was able to stop wearing her braces and did sports like volleyball, cheerleading, basketball and her favorite: skiing.

 

Bethany has now graduated from Baylor with a degree in Child and Family Studies with dreams of becoming a Child Life Specialist. Growing up in and out of the hospital with 11 surgeries before the age of eight, Bethany would love to now walk alongside children in similar situations. 

 

During her time at ATF, Bethany wants to see how much she can push herself. She is dedicating the nine weeks to becoming the strongest version of herself - physically, spiritually, and emotionally. From there, she plans on following God’s next steps for her life and is excited about the opportunity to continue encouraging others.

 
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