Until about two weeks ago, I had no idea who Angela Madsen was. It wasn't until I came across an article that she had passed that I began to understand what she was. Simply put, she was an inspiration.
You see Angela Madsen was a Paralympian, she was a fierce advocate for the LGBTQ community. She medaled on several occasions in the Paralympics. She was also a 6 time Guinness world-record holder. She was recording a documentary wherein she was attempting to become the only paraplegic and at 60, the oldest woman to row from LA to Honolulu. She had stated that this goal was not only important to her, but the act of being at sea made her happier than anything else.
During this endeavor, she was checking in regularly with her wife and those overseeing the filmmaking process via satellite. After Madsen checked in following an update where she told those watching her she was going to fix her bow anchor, she wasn't heard from again.
Certainly, this is tragic. However, it wasn't Madsen's death that made me pause within the article. It was some comments she had made in her memoir before her passing that touched me. I honestly cried reading them. I'm crying again as I get ready to repeat them here.
"I do know that whatever my purpose is in this life, my differently-abled, physically-challenged, broken-down, beaten-up body seems to be the vehicle required for me to achieve it. ... I am purpose-driven; I may suffer pain and not walk upright in this life, but when I go home, I will not suffer the walk through the gate. I can live with that. If I could go back and change things, I would not. It would be nice not to have to suffer so much pain but, hey, that's just the way it is. ... In the beginning, I was angry. But now, I completely understand." - Angela Madsen
A question that I have been asked by many (including myself) in this life is; If I could start over without my "disability", with a "normal hand or body" would I do it? I relate to Madsen in this sentiment. No, I would not trade it for anything. Many people who are differently-abled despise being defined (partially or in full) by their ability level or the label of a diagnosis. I wouldn't trade it for anything. My "weakness" had made me strong in ways I could have never imagined. It has fortified me against the worst the world has had to offer. I can't say I have felt this way my whole life, I too was angry at times. But it's what we do as people that are different, we adapt, we overcome, we persevere. Even in her passing Madsen was proof of that, and still is.
#angelamadsen #paralympian #differentlyabled #inspiration #RIP #defyexpectations #disability #disability #awareness #athlete #ohio #davidiwrite #houseofrant
Note: This blog was written thanks to details found in this original article.
Photo from: Outsports.com