Spotlight Series: Meet JESI STRACHAM

MEET JESI STRACHAM (NC), Spinal Cord Injury survivor and president of the Wheel with Me Foundation.  Jesi has recently been nominated for the 2022 Ambassadorship Award for IPHA's Phoenix Advocacy Program.  Her remarkable public work and her spirited style in educating and inspiring others to rise above their physical impairments is a global asset to lead the pursuit of personal excellence and achievements.  In addition, Jesi is the recent advocacy partner of the IPHA program: Women's Health Network- focused on all women's health disorders and complex issues.

Jesi Stracham is an adaptive athlete, public figure, and advocate for the wheelchair community. Since 2015, she has made it her life’s mission to touch as many hearts as possible, inspiring others to live their lives to the absolute fullest - despite their obstacles.

Jesi has tried her hand at multiple adaptive sports, but found an outlet for her competitive drive alongside the abled-bodied, participating in the Tough Mudder series. In 2017, she received her “Holy Grail” which involves competing in the demanding, 24-hour World’s Toughest Mudder. Using a team of support runners, she has shown the world that when just a few people come together, anything is possible.

 

While the Tough Mudder series satiated her desire for adrenaline and excitement, Jesi found her niche on the ice - and was a member of the US Paralympic developmental curling team. As the last place she thought she would find her passion, this is was the sport to which she devoted the majority of her efforts. Jesi left the program in February 2020 to focus on finishing her associates degree, personal training certificate, and building her fitness business. When her need for adrenaline and excitement rises, Jesi competes on the Tough Mudder Course. 

 

Competitive endeavors aside, Jesi’s most important role is as the co-founder of her non-profit, the Wheel With Me Foundation. Founded in 2016,The Wheel With Me Foundation is focused on a growing community of men and women who are wheelchair users. The organization's mission is to bridge the gap between inpatient rehabilitation and independent living through activism with the ultimate goal of constructing a transitional home to bridge the gap between inpatient rehabilitation and the real world. The residents of the Wheel With Me Campus will be accompanied by a caring staff member ready to coach them through their journey. Each resident will learn wheelchair skills, how to address and overcome daily obstacles, and care for themselves while fostering their own personal development. Upon graduation, the resident will be confident reintegrating into their home, community, and workplace.    Ref: https://jesistracham.com/

My Biggest Hero is… By: Jesi Stracham  In an interview, Matthew McConaughey said his biggest hero is him ten years from now. This resonates with me. When I think of a hero in my life, I automatically think of the person I am and the person I am continuously developing into. To me, a hero is someone who shows courageous strength, even when the future is uncertain. A person who values the impact they leave on the individuals they serve. A hero is a person who, regardless of their fears or the doubt in their success, shows up anyway. An individual that continuously exhibits mental grit is a hero. Heroes are all around us.  Had you asked me this question 6 years ago, I’m sure my answer would NOT be the same. After the accident that left me a paraplegic, my once determined future became unclear in an instant.  I struggled to change my lifestyle to accommodate my disability. I lost not only the use of my legs but my bowel and bladder control as well as the perceived “control” I had over my life. I had to relearn everything I previously knew about day to day functions. Various examples of everyday tasks I had to remaster were how to get my pants on, use a catheter to pee, how to poop, how to shower, get in and out of bed or a car, and how to use a wheelchair. Refusing to accept the reality of my life-changing injury, I overlooked my physical and mental health and wellness.  (see complete Blog entry)  (see Jesi's complete Blog entry)

 

 

"GETTING MY LIFE BACK FROM CHRONIC FATIGUE SYNDROME"  2/15/2022- Mrs. Suzanne Wheeler of Minneapolis, Minnesota is celebrated as IPHA NEWS' Researcher of the Month.  After years of suffering a life-altering disorder that currently continues to challenge the scientific community of its root causes, Mrs. Wheeler explored “outside the conventional box” of opioid prescriptions, uncovering alternative solutions that got her back on her feet and joining life again.  Invoking CHANGE against all odds by diligently searching for what’s beyond the convenient takes courage and conviction.  It is this level of academic strength and strategic leadership that comprises the Alternative Health and Wellness community. (see full feature on Mrs. Wheeler's PEMF review)

2022 POWERMEET: THE NATIONAL WOMEN'S DIAGNOSTIC NETWORK:  April 27, 2022 marks the official launch of the National Women's Diagnostic Network co-produced by the Integrative Pain Healers' Alliance, the AngioFoundation and the NY Cancer Resource Group. Thanks to the collaboration of the co-hosts Dr. Noelle Cutter and Dr. Roberta Kline, the virtual event otherwise known as the Round Table emPOWERMEET / Leadership Conference 2022 united NINE remarkable educators in support of women's health issues. Each speaker shared their own visions, viewpoints and work experiences. They explored the field of care-giving and offered their personal inspirations that added individual energies to this public event. (see complete article on our first Women's emPOWERMEET.)