Victoria Arlen

“I come from a family of go-getters.”

“When you have a spinal or brain injury, or any kind of devastating illness, you kind of fall through the cracks in a sense. Your world implodes, and no one is really there to help pick up the pieces.”

“We all have challenges. We have to face them, embrace them, defy them, and conquer them.”

“I grew up a swimmer. I didn't think I could swim without the use of my legs.”

“When I was 10 years old, 'Dancing with the Stars' premiered, and I told my mom, 'I'm going to be on that show one day.'”

“When my doctors said I would never walk, I didn't believe them. I knew I wasn't meant to spend my life in a chair.”

“Being competitive is in my nature. I actually think being competitive saved my life. It's given me the constant drive to be better, and when I was in that hospital bed and that wheelchair, it made me want to get better.”

“Live life to the fullest no matter what.”

“Winning gold and three silver medals at the Paralympic games is something I'll never forget, but I knew deep down there was still more work to do. I had to continue to redefine what was possible and get back everything that was taken away from me.”

“A disability can be anything that you are insecure about, and I teach people that when challenges come your way, you need to face them, you need to embrace these new norms and these challenges, and you need to defy them and conquer them.”

“I thought my sports career was over once I got into a wheelchair. That was the hardest reality I had to face.”

“While paralyzed, I won a gold and three silver medals as a competitive swimmer.”

“I'm honored to be a part of the #ShowEm campaign because it recognizes the importance of who we are at our core and what drives us to become who we want to be, no matter what obstacles we face. Jockey has given me a platform to show people that the impossible can be possible if you keep fighting and believing.”

“I want the other Victorias out there, the people that are suffering or going through something, to keep fighting.”

“Each of us can provide a positive example to others in our lives, and that's powerful. When I visit those with difficult health conditions, I do my best to provide them with positive motivation because I know I was so inspired by people who showed support for me.”

“The big thing for me is just continuing to be a beacon of hope. And showing people that nothing is impossible.”

“I was bullied in high school. I would go through the hallways and be pointed at and laughed at because I was the new kid in a wheelchair.”

“I made it to the top five on 'Dancing with the Stars.' To me, that was just a tremendous accomplishment.”

“It's actually more work for me to not smile than to smile.”

“My hope is to be the first disabled swimmer on an able-bodied team at the Y Nationals.”