A Texas woman who has been a quadriplegic ever since she fell at the Volkslauf Mud Run in Bakersfield is putting the tragic accident behind her. It has been a steady recovery for Mandy Trept since the accident last October.
The 33-year-old Trept is paralyzed from the chest down and has no feeling or control of her legs. She is gaining strength in her arms with intense rehabilitation. She spoke to 17 News over the phone from her new home in Colorado.
Trept hasn't let life as a quadriplegic slow her down. Everyday tasks we take for granted can be difficult for Trept. Even opening a door can be a struggle, but she is a fighter. "I know several quadriplegics and I see what they're doing and it pushes me to do more with my situation," said Mandy Trept.
Trept came from Arlington, Texas to Bakersfield specifically for Volksluaf October 8th. She was flown to Kern Medical Center when she fell head first from the highest obstacle in the race.
For eight weeks, Trept was in intensive therapy at the hospital and people in Bakersfield who had never met her rallied together. More than 80 cards from strangers all over the world covered the wall in her hospital room.
The "Miles for Mandy Run" at Hart Park raised more than $12,000 to offset her steep medical bills. "Kern County really kept me going. All the cards, and knowing strangers were putting the race together for me, oh my gosh. There's no way to thank the people in Bakersfield," said Trept.
When Trept left Bakersfield, she could barely move her arms. "Every time I pass a river or a wooded area, I want to get down there and look at the boats and go running through the fields but it's all about adaptation," she continued.
Trept spends most of her time in a power wheelchair. The once avid weight lifter is slowly regaining the feeling in her upper body with rehabilitation. She has enough strength to pick flowers in her garden and a typing stick allows her to use the computer.
"Even the tiniest thing, like being able to open a door or being able to brush my teeth, the tiniest things are so precious," she explained.
It is those precious moments that remind Trept to keep fighting. "I'm a determined person and I believe I can do it. You cannot give up hope," she noted.
Trept hopes that one day she will be able to walk again. You can keep up with her progress by going to
