Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Steffen.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I had been playing sled hockey with the Cincinnati icebreakers for six years when I met Brooklyn Crist from wooster Ohio. She was on the women’s US Paralympic sled hockey team and was helping out at a sled hockey clinic. She was teaching my team about cross-training and mentioned seated track. My freshman year of high school my parents mentioned that I should find a way to try seated track, then we talked to Mount Notre Dame’s track coach Dr. Jeffrey Johnson who was very interested in this new challenge. We contacted Jeremy Finton from the Columbus Adaptive sports club https://adaptivesportsconnection.org/ He fitted me in my first racing chair and I began practicing and competing for my high school mount Notre dame. I qualified for the Ohio state track and field championships my freshman year and placed 5th in the seated 100m, 400m, 800m, and seated shot-put events. The next year covid happened and the season was cancelled. My junior year I finished second in the seated 100m dash behind Brooklyn Crist. This year I became a two-time state champion placing first in the seated 400-meter dash and 800-meter race. I again placed second in the 100-meter dash and placed 4th in the seated shot put.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’m the beginning not necessarily but once my coach and I learned how to navigate not only having one seated athlete at practice but learning how to register me in meets it became easier.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I honestly amazed myself at how well I did but I couldn’t have done it without my parents for pushing me to try new things and my coaches got believing in me!
What were you like growing up?
I was a very determined person. I was determined to do different activities and always found things interesting to do. I tried to be as independent as possible but still use the help my parents and coaches provided. I like to find new ways to get better at the activities I participate in.
Contact Info:
Image Credits
Tim steffen
April Sova
Clyde helwink
