WHEEL WITH ME

Jesi Stracham is an adaptive athlete, public figure, and advocate for the wheelchair community. Since 2015, she has made it her life’s mission to touch as many hearts as possible, inspiring others to live their lives to the absolute fullest - despite their obstacles.

 

Jesi has tried her hand at multiple adaptive sports, but found an outlet for her competitive drive alongside the abled-bodied, participating in the Tough Mudder series. In 2017, she received her “Holy Grail” which involves competing in the demanding, 24-hour World’s Toughest Mudder. Using a team of support runners, she has shown the world that when just a few people come together, anything is possible.

 

While the Tough Mudder series satiated her desire for adrenaline and excitement, Jesi finally found her niche on the ice - and is now a member of the US Paralympic developmental curling team. As the last place she thought she would find her passion, this is now the sport to which she devotes the majority of her efforts. She will compete to qualify for the US team in November 2018.

 

Competitive endeavors aside, Jesi’s most important role is as the co-founder of her non-profit, the Wheel With Me Foundation. Founded in 2016, the mission of Wheel With Me is to integrate new spinal cord injury (SCI) patients back into the world by giving them the skills to function and live independently. When she’s not travelling to compete in Tough Mudder events or curling, she is devoting all her time to promoting and fundraising for her foundation, with the ultimate goal of establishing a residential facility that will bridge the gap between inpatient rehabilitation and the real world for those with a new SCI.