Monique van der Vorst is nothing short of incredible. At one point she was a silver medalist in the Paralympics, but now it looks like she is going to be able-bodied, and not only that, but actually be able to compete in the Olympics, having signed with the Rabobank women’s professional cycling team.
Her story is unbelievable. At 13-years-old van der Vorst was paralyzed from the hip down. Now, 14 years later, she is moving! It seems this is because she was hit by a bicycle when she was training (wheelchair-bound) for the 2012 London Paralympics.
It was while recovering from the accident that she started to feel tingling in her feet. Shortly after that, she was able to move them! She then endured many months of intensive rehab and took her first steps last July. Those in the medical field are simply unable to explain the phenomenon.
Of course, this was amazing for van der Vorst. But, at the same time, she was a little disappointed she couldn’t compete in the Paralympics she loved so much, which meant she really missed the actual sport, the people involved and the challenges that came along with it. It was that which made her crave to compete in the regular Olympics.
It wasn’t easy. Indeed, she almost crashed the first attempt she made at getting on a regular racing bike. But she got back on until she had finished the 30km training route – slowly, but she did it. She’s not quite at Olympic level yet, but she’s getting there and, with her determination, there’s no telling just how far she’ll go.
