08/17/2021
Meet Vincent Coy and be inspired by his incredible journey.
On November 5th, 2019, Vincent Coy went out for a motorcycle ride. As he passed one car turning left, they failed to yield, and Vince tried to swerve out of the way but was unsuccessful. He smacked the front side of the car and flipped over about 4 times and slid about 50 yards. Vince remembers laying screaming for help. Vince was paralyzed from the waist down and was taken on a flight for life from Kish to Rockford. He spent 16 days in an induced Coma because the damage to his sciatic nerve was so severe that it was not allowing him to breathe.
The doctors feared he might not come out of the coma because every time they took the tube out to see if he could breathe on his own, he flatlined. Just before they were going to insert a tracheostomy tube, he showed positive signs and they were able to bring him out. Vince had 3 major surgeries over the next few weeks, and was on his way to recovery. Vince spent 2 months in the hospital and 3 months in a nursing home. During that time, Vince regained some movement in his legs.
When he was finally able to go home, he set up an appointment with a physical therapist. The physical therapist expressed concern with the extreme limitations he had with moving his legs. A week after that meeting, Covid hit Illinois and his therapist was no longer able to visit him.
On July 7th, 2020, Vince came to Anytime Fitness and revealed his story to the staff. He was still in a wheelchair and had made no progress on his recovery. He informed the club manager, Joey, he had nowhere else to go. Vince began working with Lead Trainer Jill Farris immediately. When Vince started training with Jill, he could barely make transfers out of the wheelchair, he had to pick his own legs up because he was unable to move them on his own. Within 3 months Vince was able to get out of his chair on his own and walk with assistance of a walker, achievements he never thought he would be able to accomplish.
Since then, Vince has been able to do workouts on stair climbers and this past weekend did his first ever 5K with Jill right by his side. Vince is a walking miracle, and we are so proud of his accomplishments. He has an incredible story to tell and will be inspiration to so many that have thought they would never be able to again.
