33-year-old Natalie Bieule will represent Team USA in the Paralympic games, securing a spot earlier this summer at the national team trials to compete in discus.
"I’m very excited and nervous at the same time,” said the Miami native. “That completely changed the game for me.”
"When I got introduced to the Paralympics, this is what I envisioned,” Bieule said. “I just envisioned myself at podium, in Rio, winning, having a medal, representing my country.
The path to this point hasn't been easy. A life-long dancer, the mother of two lost her leg in 2001 when a drunk driver crashed into her car.
"When my daughter was born that was what really put the fire in me because I never wanted her to look at me as a woman that's missing a leg,” said Bieule.
Natalie is now a record holding, three time national champ in discus, currently ranked third in the world and aiming for gold in Rio.
"from an 18-year-old who lost her leg thinking ‘what's going to be’ when I was dreaming of Broadway,” she said. “Broadway would've never given me what I have today. I couldn't be more proud of myself.”
Natalie heads off to Houston later this month where she'll train with teammates for a couple of days before heading down to Rio. The opening ceremony for the Paralympics is on September 7th.
