Jessica was an inactive and overweight child. After she became pregnant at 16 she knew that things needed to change. She started swimming and kickboxing at her junior college lost 100 pounds and learned to live the life of a healthy athletic young woman. Her life took another huge turn when on June 3, 2010, she fell asleep while driving and got into an accident that resulted in a level C-7 incomplete spinal cord injury. The drive and dedication that led Jessica to drastically change her life helped her to fight through physical therapy. She attended Project Walk and worked out at a local gym and pool eventually gaining much upper body function which allowed her to live an independent life. Jessica graduated from Cal State Fullerton and went on to work at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Hospital. She developed a passion for quad rugby and hand-cycling and has tried other recreational sports. She hopes that her masters in Social Work will help her goal of working with programs including occupational, physical and recreation therapy—making physical fitness available to persons with physical disabilities.