Meet Adaptive Athlete: Karla Castellanos

Karla is originally from Mexicali in Baja California, Mexico. There were no sports or extracurricular activities offered in her community, so when she moved to the United States and saw all the sports offered, she decided to try everything she could. She played soccer and basketball and competed in track and field. After high school, Karla went to San Diego State University and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice. She then went on to work for the United States Border Patrol.

 

On October 21st, 2023, Karla was working an immigration checkpoint in Yuma, Arizona when a car going 90 mph sped through the checkpoint booth with Karla and her coworker inside. The incident left Karla's body broken - broken legs, broken ribs, fractured spine, and a below-elbow amputation of her right arm amongst other injuries. Karla was in a rehab facility for four months where she had to relearn basic tasks such as eating, showering, and brushing her teeth. Her mental state suffered because she felt like she had lost everything important in her life and could no longer do much of what she did before her amputation. Now, she is in a better place mentally because she chose to start focusing on the things she can do.

 

Karla hopes her time with ATF will help her feel more confident in her own skin. Physically, she wants to be able to do a one-handed pushup and start running again. She is looking forward to learning from other athletes and alumni about how they have overcome challenges in their lives so that she can implement new tools in her life to be mentally prepared for whatever life throws at her.