In September 2007, while racing the Jeep King of the Mountain (KOM) finals in Colorado, Tara Llanes suffered a terrible fall and was paralyzed. In her words, "This was my job and I was blessed. Then my life and everything I had dreamed of and accomplished flashed before my eyes as I laid there on the ground trying to understand why I was in such pain and why my legs just wouldn't move." In this moment, Llanes was beginning to come to the realization that she could have a disability.
Now an ambassador for Life Rolls On, Llanes is a great inspiration for many with disabilities, especially those who have also suffered a spinal cord injury (SCI.) Life Rolls On is a 501(c)3-status organization that exists to empower those who have suffered from a spinal cord injury. Tara Llanes is one of several ambassadors whose stories inspire others who have an SCI or another disability. Some proceeds also go to research on a cure for SCI. Life Rolls On is also the underwriter for They Will Surf Again, a program dedicated to inspiring mobility with adaptive surfing.
Llanes went through extensive rehabilitation after her spinal cord injury. While continuing to uplift others who have a disability through her efforts with Life Rolls On, she still continues to work toward her goal of getting back on the mountain bike and racing. She can now move her left leg. For Tara, knowing that one day she may be able to race again is what gets her through each day. On Life Rolls On's Web site, she says "When life kicks you, make sure it kicks you forward."
Sources:Life Rolls OnTara Llanes RacingTara Llanes Road to Recovery FundSCI Info Pages "Spinal Cord Injury Levels & Classification"Apparelyzed "Functionality of T10 - L1 Spinal Cord Injury"
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