Strength. Courage. Perseverance. At thirty-one, Tricia Downing was in the best shape of her life. In the summer of 2000, Tricia, an avid cyclist, drove across the country for what amounted to eighteen races in twenty-three days. She returned from her adventure to a fresh start: a new job awaited her, and, determined to make the next summer the year she would make her mark on the world of cycling, she began a rigorous training strategy. But on September 17, 2000, Tricia Downing's life took a detour. While training on her bicycle one sunny Colorado afternoon, Tricia collides with a car that turns directly in her path, and instantly becomes paralyzed from the chest down. As a competitive road and track cyclist and lifelong athlete, losing the use of her legs is devastating on all accounts. As she re-learns to do everything from sitting straight up to navigating through her house in a wheelchair to returning to work and operating a handcycle, her grueling recovery takes her to the very core of her athletic mettle. This inner strength helps her to not only learn how to live life as a paraplegic-a label that takes time to grow accustomed to-but to have the courage to return to the competitive sport she loves and almost lost. Determined to live life on her terms, Tricia turns her misfortune into opportunity, and is now a wheelchair racer, competing regularly in triathlons around the globe. Cycle of Hope chronicles Tricia's journey from the first terrifying moments of impact with the car through rehab and her emergence as a world-class athlete.
Tricia Downing's life has always been about athletics and adventure. She grew up a swimmer, gymnast, diver and in her late twenties added the sport of cycling to her repertoire of activities and continued her passion for competition. But in one instant, on September 17, 2000, Tricia was hit head-on by a car and paralyzed from the chest down, requiring the use of a wheelchair for mobility.
As a competitive cyclist and lifelong athlete, losing the use of her legs was devastating on all accounts, but as a true competitor, Tricia turned that misfortune into opportunity. Determined to live life on her terms, Tricia returned to sports as a wheelchair racer and never looked back. She is recognized as a pioneer in the sport of paratriathlon as she became the first paraplegic female to complete an Iron distance triathlon (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, 26.2-mile run). In addition, she has competed in the sport both nationally and internationally, as well as competing in marathons, duathlons and in the sport of rowing.
She was featured in the Warren Miller documentary Superior Beings and on the lifestyle TV magazine show Life Moments. She has been featured in Muscle and Fitness Hers, Mile High Sports and Rocky Mountain Sports magazines.
Tricia is passionate about helping others heal through the challenges of their lives and spends time traveling around the country sharing her message of hope and resilience. She is the founder and director of Camp Discovery, a fitness camp for women in wheelchairs designed to promote health and healing on all levels--mind, body and spirit. She holds Masters degrees in both sport management and disability studies and is a motivational speaker.
She lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband Steve. Visit Tricia at trishdowning.com
