Meet Adaptive Athlete: Gabi Cha

Gabi grew up in Jonesboro, Georgia where she played soccer her whole childhood. She recalls enjoying the team aspect of it, which undoubtedly prepared her well for life in the military, as well as the running for conditioning. She graduated highschool in 2004 and went on to enlist in the United States Army where she obtained the rank of sergeant first class. 

 

Gabi was deployed to Iraq as a combat medic where she sustained her first injury, leading to several hip surgeries. Eventually, as her service continued her hip injury worsened and became necrotic in 2020 when she separated from the military. This required another surgery which left her partially paralyzed and without a hip flexor or glute medius in one side. 

 

Her recovery has been challenging and hard on her mentally along with transitioning from the military. Gabi was able to find community in adaptive sports which has been a blessing to her as she continues her mental health recovery. 

 

Gabi wants to use ATF to prove to herself that she still has what it takes to succeed and really dive into the mindset portion of the program in order to face her past trauma and overcome the negative thoughts holding her back.