Some people never achieve in a lifetime what 28-year-old Nicole Richards has accomplished in the last eleven years. After a car accident in February 2000 coming home from a Ball State University gymnastics meet, this popular academic star and state champion gymnast broke her neck and was immediately paralyzed from the chest down. She was told she would be confined to a wheelchair forever. In an instant, her life changed forever.
It’s sadly true…Nicole Richards’ life has changed forever, but her courage and strength is unwavering. She has never given up. Nicole is a beautiful, shining example of inner light and determination. In the past eleven years, Nicole has undergone multiple surgeries and long stays in numerous hospitals. After an almost three month stay at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago, she spent her first few weeks back at home completing her senior year of high school and was named Perry Meridian’s prom queen at her senior prom. She had enough courage to begin her next stage of her life…college. After spending one year at IUPUI, Nicole was ready to enroll in the school that she planned to do gymnastics for. She moved to Muncie and enrolled herself in classes at Ball State. Nicole was scared and timid at first, but after just a few months, she was meeting friends and enjoying herself just as any college student.
After studying day and night at BSU for 3½ years, Nicole completed yet another goal. She graduated from the university with a Bachelor’s Degree in telecommunications, a minor in journalism, and an emphasis in news! Nicole feels great to be done with school and is extremely proud of how hard she worked for those 4½ years. She thanks all of you who encouraged and prayed for her to successfully complete her degree.
Nicole is now working for the Defense Finance and Accounting Service at Fort Benjamin Harrison. She is a human resources specialist and her work entails recruiting, ranking and hiring new employees for the Department of Defense. This is also the tenth year that Nicole has been a licensed Indiana High School Athletic Association official in the sport of gymnastics. She also took, and passed, her judging tests to judge for USA Gymnastics. Nicole loves that she can still be involved in the sport that she loved so much and really enjoys giving her feedback to the younger generation of gymnasts.
Nicole is not alone, and she knows it. She works hard to raise money to provide funding for research in spinal cord injuries. Nicole, as well as thousands of others, is not giving up on finding a cure that will allow her to walk again.
Thanks to people like you, she is now driving a specially-equipped van on her own! She drives herself to and from work, gymnastics meets, friends’ houses, and of course to the mall! And again, thanks to you, she also has been given back a feeling we all take for granted. Proceeds from past rides have allowed this brown-eyed wonder to stand again, literally, supported by a chair. With the $6,000 Easy Stand Glider, Nicole is now able to pump herself up to standing and exercise her arms and legs. She is now able to look people in the eye again.
As you might imagine, the annual cost of treatment and medical care for a spinal cord injury patient is enormous—about $140,000 a year. The Richards’ family is rallying again this year for the 10th Annual Nicole’s Ride. Our fundraising goal is a minimum of $15,000. We believe in this goal every bit as much as we believe in Nicole.
Please join us May 21st, 2011 at Whit’s Inn in Whiteland, Indiana so Nicole can make her dreams a reality. Celebrate with us the spirit of this special and courageous young woman.
Nicole and her family thank you.