10/27/2016
Hiking all 2,190 miles of the Appalachian Trail is a tremendous accomplishment for anyone, but it's an unbelievable feat for an individual who is paralyzed from the chest down. Yet Stacey Kozel, who left her wheelchair behind last March to tackle the rigorous trail, has done just that -- this month, she completed her solo seven-month long hike from Georgia to Maine! The 41-year-old from Medina, Ohio, who is able to walk thanks to a special pair of braces that act like a mechanical exoskeleton, says that the journey was grueling at times but she was determined not to quit, “I didn't start out doing this because I thought it was going to be easy,” says Kozel. "Climbing up the mountain, it's tough. But once you get to the top, there's always these great views that make it all worth it. I think the possibilities are endless, actually. That's what I always say."
Kozel became paralyzed two years ago after a lupus flare-up, an autoimmune disease that she's battled since her teens. While lupus affects everyone differently, in Kozel's case, it attacks her central nervous system, causing her to lose muscle function. After a severe attack in March 2014, she explains, "I regained core and arm strength. But with my legs, it’s permanent paralysis from now on.” Kozol says that she felt "trapped in my wheelchair" and "just dying to get outside," so she began researching new technologies that could help improve her mobility. That's when she discovered the Ottobock C-Brace, a high-tech brace with a built-in microprocessor and hydraulic system that allows the leg to move.
For over a year, the braces were out of reach -- the state-of-the-art technology comes with the high price tag of $75,000 and Kozel's health insurance company deemed it an 'unnecessary' expense. Although she says it was a "depressing" period, Kozel, however, refused to be deterred and appealed each denial. After a year of appeals, her request was finally approved and she quickly took to the streets and local trails in her new braces. That's when she decided to hike -- not just locally, but the entire Appalachian Trail. She hopes that her journey will help more people who use wheelchairs learn about this new technology. As she explained in an interview earlier this year: "WHEN I make it back to Mt. Katahdin on my thru hike, insurance companies will have a much tougher time telling others that the braces are 'not necessary.'"
Even with the braces, the journey was not an easy one -- Kozel can’t climb boulders or steep inclines, so she had to throw her backpack ahead and sit down and scoot backwards over sections; “I try not to be too proud,” she said last summer. The braces also need to be charged every two days, which she did with help from “trail angels”, people who live close to the trail who offer hikers beds, meals, or, in her case, an electrical outlet. One of the most challenging points of the hike, however, was the final steep climb at the trail's end aup Mount Katahdin in Maine.
Kozel -- whose trail nickname was fittingly "Ironwill" -- recounts that how she "literally crawled to the summit" after freezing rain and high winds repeatedly knocked her over and her hands were too frozen to grip her poles. Even so, she persevered and reached the summit; "I didn't want to let anyone down. I didn't care if I had to crawl. I wanted to do it," she observed. "The worst day on the trail is far better than the best day in the hospital."
To send Stacey a note of congratulations for this incredible accomplishment on her page, visit Stacey Kozel
For a fantastic book about the first woman to ever hike the entire Appalachian Trail -- at the age of 67 -- we highly recommend “Grandma Gatewood’s Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman who Saved the Appalachian Trail” at http://amzn.to/29lu3wN
For a new picture book about Grandma Gatewood for young readers, check out "When Grandma Gatewood Took a Hike" for ages 5 to 9 at http://www.amightygirl.com/when-grandma-gatewood-took-a-hike
For many books for young readers about the wonders of outdoor discovery, visit our blog post, "Explore Your World: 25 Mighty Girl Books About Outdoor Discovery," at http://www.amightygirl.com/blog?p=11570
For many girl-empowering books for children and teens about the importance of determination, visit our "Perseverance" book section at http://amgrl.co/1hNzWVS
And, for an excellent new parenting book about the benefits of outdoor play and exploration for kids, check out "Balanced and Barefoot: How Unrestricted Outdoor Play Makes for Strong, Confident, and Capable Children" at http://www.amightygirl.com/balanced-and-barefoot
