This woman is paralyzed - and she's conquering one of the world's toughest hikes
Kozel was diagnosed with lupus — an autoimmune disease in which the body attacks its own tissues and organs — when she was 19 years old.
In March 2014, she experienced a lupus flare-up so severe she was rendered almost completely immobile.
So she used her laptop and her left arm — her only working limb at the time — to find ways to get back on her feet. That's when she discovered a new technology called the C-Brace.
The braces work like a high-tech exoskeleton, allowing people with nerve damage and paralysis to walk smoothly and naturally — something that's never been possible before.
Each one costs $75,000. But Kozel was determined to get them, so she fought through months of grueling physical therapy.
Slowly, she regained motion and strength in her core and arms. Once she could stand on her own, she could be eligible for C-Braces.
She also had to battle insurance companies who initially denied coverage of the braces.
Finally, her hard work paid off. Kozel was fitted with C-Braces and promptly decided to hike the AT from start to finish.
It takes most hikers five to seven months, so it will probably take me longer," she told INSIDER. "I knew it was going to be very challenging, and my hiking wasn't going to be fast or pretty.
But she's already made it all the way from Georgia Harper's Ferry, Virginia. Hikers call it the "psychological halfway point" of the trail.
Without her C-Braces, she'd still have to push herself in a wheelchair. But with them, she's already traveled about 900 miles on foot — and taken in gorgeous views like these.
Kozel wants to inspire others who face struggles that seem insurmountable. "I just hope people do not give up." she said. "We never know what positive things are in the future unless we keep going."
It's tradition for AT hikers to adopt monikers called trail names. They represent a hiker's new identity as they embark on one of the world's toughest journeys. Kozel's trail name — "Iron Will" — couldn't be more fitting.
Popular Right Now
Popular Keywords
Advertisement