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- Grace Petzold: I love absolutely everything about water skiing.
My name is Grace Petzold and I'm 18 years old.
I'm the founder of the Graceful Wakes,
and I compete with
the Rock Aqua Jay Water Ski Show Team
and the USA Water Ski Show Team.
I love the idea of performing in front of people
and getting to put on a show.
- Announcer: Right side, give it up for...
How about a nice hand for Grace?
[cheers and applause]
- Wendy Petzold: Once Grace started water skiing,
I remember Dennis, a friend of ours,
came up to me and said, "So, do you water ski?"
I'm like, " No. "
My name is Wendy, and I'm Grace's mom.
- Grace Petzold: If I were to describe my mom,
I would definitely say she's a fighter.
She's been through a lot in her life,
but she's shown me
that she has the strength necessary
to keep pushing through
all the obstacles she's been through.
- It was two days before my 17th birthday
that I was injured in a car accident,
that damaged my spinal cord
resulting in my paralysis.
- Being able to ski with her,
that was something I never thought I'd be able to do.
- Grace and I and our family
had the opportunity to participate
in an adaptive clinic in Florida.
It was a feeling of freedom
and something so different
than what I had ever experienced before.
To be out of your wheelchair and gliding across the water,
it was just an amazing feeling.
- Grace: So, that was, like, one of the highlights of my life:
being able to share something that I love so much
and be able to participate in it with my mom.
After that experience, I realized that I wanted
to provide that same opportunity
and ability to water ski
to other individuals
with physical and cognitive disabilities.
And so, therefore, with the help from my parents,
we founded the non-profit organization Graceful Wakes.
[laughter]
- Wendy: Ready? One, two, three. [click]
- Traditional water skis do not really necessarily fit
the abilities of every skier.
- Wendy: The adaptive water ski
is different than the traditional water ski
and also costs a lot more.
- A ski that essentially has a little sling or seat
that the participant can sit in if they can't stand.
And the rope can, kind of,
be hooked up to the ski too
so if the person is unable to hold a rope,
the ski can essentially hold it for them.
We can find
an adaptation for anyone,
no matter their ability.
- It's like you're flying.
I never thought I would water ski again after my accident
but this is amazing.
- Then, these things adjust down here.
So, do you want to put your leg here?
- Sure. - Perfect.
- This ski helps many people be able to learn how to ski
and have the ability to water ski.
When an adaptive water skier
tries water skiing for the first time,
it's just the joy and smiles that come across their face.
It just melts my heart, kind of,
and makes all the hard work worth it.
- Grace has seen a pattern in our family's life
of giving back.
We believe in giving back to the community
and supporting the community.
I also think that having a mother with a disability
helped to make her in tune
to the needs of other people
and to look beyond herself.
That the world doesn't revolve around her
and that there are others that need help.
- Grace: I would say you're never too young
to make a change in the world.
That if you work hard at it
and dedicate a lot of your time and energy to it,
that you can pretty much accomplish anything.
Even a small act of kindness
can really make someone's day or change their day
and just better the world.
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