Media
Local paralympian hopes to help other achieve dreams
SUMMIT COUNTY - As a child growing up blind, Nancy Stevens' parents encouraged her to ride a bike, roller skate, climb trees.
Last March, as a member of the U.S. Disabled Ski Team, Stevens competed cross-country in the Paralympics in Nagano, Japan. She sailed blind down slopes at up to 30 miles an hour, required to turn curves of up to 90 degrees, relying only on verbal commands from her assistant, Tony Neaves. Stevens qualified for the Paralympics after skiing within 62 percent of the average time of the top five able-bodied athletes at U.S. Ski Team Gold Cup cross country races in Lake Placid, NY.
Still, when it came to beginning her dream career as a motivational speaker, Stevens balked. But she overcame her fear through tenacity, research and support from other speakers and now she hopes her story will influence others to reach for the sky.
"Beginning a new career is scary" she said. "It's not always easy but some times you have to just get out there and do it. If people have a goal, I hope something I say will encourage them to try."
An accomplished singer, songwriter and guitarist, Stevens majored in music education and has performed at local venues throughout Summit County. For five years she served as director of High Country Options. High Country Options assists the disabled with finding employment. But after being restructured, High Country Options went under the umbrella of Bristlecone Home Care and Hospice, and Stevens found herself out of a job.
"On the plane to Japan. I made a list of all the things I like to do," she said. "I realized what 1 like to do best is encourage people. Through High County Options, I've visited Summit High School and the Summit County Seniors to talk about disability awareness and motivation. The kids ask me questions. I think when people speak with me and see the challenges I've overcome, they start believing in themselves. I really enjoy that type of interaction."
Coincidentally, the athletic director at Stevens' former high school in Michigan asked her to speak to the school students about her experience. Stevens used that engagement as a starting point and since then has given speeches for the State of Colorado, church groups and a Girl Scout convention in Wisconsin. Last Tuesday, she gave her presentation to the Summit County Rotary Club.
Stevens has also joined the Women's Speakers Bureau and Colorado Speakers Association. In June, with three local speakers, she formed Goal Partners to offer each other encouragement. With Media West Productions in Denver, Stevens is developing a video to send to national speakers bureaus.
During the summer, Stevens did research and networked with other speakers. Now, she considers her new career formally underway.
For her motivational speeches, Stevens sings and shows slides of her experiences at the Paralympics in Japan to assist her motivational speeches. She compares her trip to the process of accomplishing any kind of dream.
"I've got great feedback from other speakers," Stevens said. "They told me to express more stories. I feel this is a great way to tie all my skills together. I love to travel and meet people."
For more information, call Nancy Stevens at 970 945 2171.