CEDARBURG, Wis. — A 19-year-old Cedarburg woman who was paralyzed from the waist down two years ago won first place in her category at the Adaptive CrossFit Games in Las Vegas.
Hope Kittel completed nine workouts at the competition and finished first in her division, an achievement she says would have seemed impossible when she was lying in a hospital bed two years ago.
"I've come to truly believe that nothing is impossible," Kittel said.
The teenager's journey to the top of adaptive athletics began after a life-changing neurological event left her paralyzed from the waist down.
TMJ4 spoke with Hope last year, as she was just beginning her journey toward qualifying at Adapt and Conquer CrossFit. The Cedarburg gym helps athletes with disabilities and, through the United Training Foundation, offers free memberships to them.
"It can get really dark and mentally difficult on this journey because there's no timeline, there's no set prognosis," Kittel said. "I'm just continuing to believe that I can get my hand functioning so that I'll continue to have the paralysis level worked down."
Watch: How a paralyzed Cedarburg teen beat the odds to secure national CrossFit medal
Despite the challenges, Kittel has built a new life that includes working as a barista at Wild and Precious, a boutique in Grafton, and training at the CrossFit gym. Her dedication has paid off in ways she never imagined possible.
"I couldn't stop thinking about that girl who was lying in that hospital bed, and how she would never in a million years believe that this happened," Kittel said.
Her coach is gym owner Jason Olejniczak. He has worked with Kittel to ensure her training translates to real-world benefits.
"Specific to Hope, our goal is that everything in here makes life easier," Olejniczak said.
Kittel's coworkers from Wild and Precious even traveled to Las Vegas to cheer her on during the competition.
"Them showing up, I'd say it's unbelievable, but truly it is believable," Kittel said.
Kittel says her main advice to others facing adversity, be it a disability or something more general, is to seek help when needed.
"It's not a weakness to need help or to reach out to people," Kittel said.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
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