Meet Adaptive Athlete: Kelsee Lainhart

Kelsee grew up in Lawrenceburg, Indiana, where she developed a love for lake life, team sports, and creative expression. Each year her family and friends would gather on a houseboat for Labor Day weekend, which started her lifelong connection to the water. She spent her high school years playing volleyball, serving on student council, and reading fantasy books. That spirit of curiosity and drive eventually led her to join the Marine Corps, where she served as an Intelligence Specialist with 2D Reconnaissance Battalion out of Camp Lejeune, deploying to countries including Spain, Greece, Jordan, and Afghanistan.

 

In August 2021, during the Non-Combatant Evacuation Operation at Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kelsee was part of the Female Search Teams tasked with searching women and children. On August 26, a suicide bomber detonated at Abbey Gate, killing 13 U.S. service members and over 170 Afghans, and severely injuring many more. In the incident, Kelsee sustained a spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, and extensive soft tissue damage from shrapnel. After treatment in Germany, she was transferred to Walter Reed, where she underwent spinal fusion and soft tissue surgeries before completing months of inpatient and outpatient rehab at Shirley Ryan Ability Lab. Kelsee’s recovery has been emotionally complex and physically, socially, and mentally difficult at times. 

 

Despite her injury and struggles, Kelsee is determined to rebuild. She’s currently studying Interior Design and holds a certificate in Basic Interior Design. Her major goal is to reclaim her independence. She wants to live on her own, strengthen her back and core, and gain the physical control to safely get in and out of her wheelchair. More than anything, she wants to move through the grief of her injury and rediscover the self-motivation that once came more naturally. During her time at ATF, Kelsee hopes to reconnect with that part of herself and emerge stronger and more independent.