Everything can change in an instant and nobody knows that better than Chelsie Hill. She’s a 24-year-old woman who hails from Pacific Grove, CA, and all her life — from the moment she took her first steps — Hill knew that dance was her true calling in life. With a can-do attitude and an enormous amount of talent, she performed her way through school and even earned a coveted spot on the varsity high school dance team.
And we’re no strangers to talented youngsters here at LittleThings!
Like the little boy dancing with his mom on America’s Got Talent to the pint-size salsa dancers, children with that level of passion always seem to go on to achieve great things. Except Hill’s journey would take a very unexpected and horrifying turn one night — one that she has since used to motivate herself and others to live more authentic lives.
For more, follow us as we chronicle her absolutely inspiring journey.
From the age of five, Chelsie Hill traveled the country competing at the state and national level, taking home award after prestigious award. She was a total natural!
That’s some serious skill for someone so young. Check out that leg extension!
After winning first place at regionals and with only three months left before her high school graduation, everything seemed to be falling into place for Hill. Nothing could stop her. She was about to take the world by storm!
Then, the unthinkable happened.
In 2010, Hill was involved in an accident with a driver under the influence of alcohol.
When she woke up in the hospital partially paralyzed from the waist down, doctors told her that she would never walk again. Her response? “Forget walking. I just want to dance!”
Hill spent 51 days in the hospital working on her recovery. Although her dream of becoming a professional dancer seemed all but gone now, her fighting spirit wouldn’t accept defeat so easily. Like any great performer, she faced her fears head-on.
In an utterly astonishing turnaround, Hill took a horrifying incident and has been giving back to her community in a positive way ever since.
She is now the founder of one of the world’s biggest wheelchair dance teams and she also co-founded the Walk and Roll Foundation with her father. It’s a nonprofit dedicated to educating teens about the dangers of distracted driving.
Talk about #MondayMotivation!
On her Facebook page, she wrote to her fans: “If I can follow my dreams, so can you.”
For more on Hill’s story, watch the video below and SHARE her inspiring message!
