D TO HER
PLANS FOR THE FUTURE.
ERIN: "DANCING WITH THE STARS"
SWEETHEART, ESPN HOST,
PARALYMPIC SWIMMING GOLD
MEDALIST, AUTHOR, AND OF COURSE,
NEW HAMPSHIRE NATIVE -- IT'S
HARD TO BELIEVE THERE IS
ANYTHING VICTORIA ARLEN CAN'T
ACHIEVE IF SHE PUTS HER MIND TO
IT.
>> IT IS REALLY CRAZY WHEN YOU
THINK OF THE LAST FIVE YEARS,
EVEN THE LAST YEAR FOR ME.
AT LEAST PERSONALLY, IT IS JUST
CRAZY.
WE'RE CRYING HAPPY TEARS NOW,
WE'RE CRYING HAPPY TEARS.
ERIN: WE KNEW WHEN WE MET THE
HIGH SCHOOL SWIMMER BACK IN 2012
THAT WE WOULDN'T BE THE LAST
PEOPLE TO TELL HER AMAZING STORY
-- AND IT TURNS OUT, WE WERE
RIGHT.
VICTORIA: YOU GUYS ARE THE OG'S.
"NEW HAMPSHIRE CHRONICLE" WAS
THE OG AS FAR AS CAMERAS IN MY
FACE, AND NOW IT'S MY JOB.
ERIN: FOR VICTORIA, WHO SPENT
YEARS OF HER LIFE IN A
VEGETATIVE STATE AND PARALYZED
BEFORE LEARNING TO WALK AGAIN,
THE RECENT CELEBRITY STATUS CAN
TAKE SOME GETTING USE TO.
-- GETTING USED TO.
AND COMING HOME, SHE SAYS, IS
GOOD FOR HER SOUL.
VICTORIA: I LOVE DOWNTOWN
EXETER.
I HAVE MY TWO FAVORITE SPOTS
THERE.
I JUST LOVE BEING WITH MY
FAMILY, TOO.
HOME IS WHERE MY FAMILY IS, AND
EXETER HAS BEEN SO GOOD FOR ME.
THIS IS MY FAVORITE SPOT, THIS
CAFE.
THIS IS JENNIFER, THIS IS HER
BABY.
IT'S ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLACES
TO GO, ESPECIALLY WHEN I AM IN
TOWN.
IT HAS MY FAVORITE FOOD AND
MY FAVORITE DRINK OF ALL TIME,
TURMERIC LATTE, AND A LOT OF
KALE.
IT'S LIKE IT WAS MEANT FOR ME.
BUT THIS IS MY GO-TO SPOT.
ERIN: FUELED UP, A TRIP HOME
WOULDN'T BE COMPLETE WITHOUT
STOPPING AT THE PLACE THAT MADE
THOSE DANCING FEET MOVE AGAIN.
VICTORIA: THIS IS PROJECT WALK.
THIS IS WHERE ALL THE MAGIC
HAPPENS.
THIS IS WHERE I LEARNED TO WALK.
THESE WERE TWO YEARS AGO, MY
LEGS.
NOW THESE ARE MY LEGS.
THIS WAS MY PARENTS' GIFT TO ME,
TO KIND OF GIVE ME THE BEST
CHANCE I HAD AT GETTING BACK ON
MY FEET.
DID NOT EXPECT -- I DON'T THINK
ANY OF US WERE EXPECTING.
WE DIDN'T KNOW IF I WOULD WALK,
LET ALONE DANCE OR DO ANY OF
THIS STUFF, BUT THIS WAS A VERY
HEALING PLACE AND IT WAS KIND OF
OUR WAY OF GIVING BACK.
YOUR CHAIR IS AWESOME!
[LAUGHTER]
THAT'S AMAZING.
I LOVE HOW YOUR CANE MATCHES
YOUR OUTFIT.
THAT'S A GIRL AFTER MY OWN HEART
RIGHT THERE.
EVERY SINGLE DAY, THERE IS
MIRACLES HAPPENING.
IT'S A PRETTY SPECIAL PLACE.
WHEN I COME HOME, I ALWAYS LIKE
TO SWING BY AND SAY HELLO.
THAT'S AMAZING.
YEAH, I STARTED WITH THIS.
I DIDN'T HAVE THAT COOL OF KNEE
PADS THOUG
GOD BLESS YOU.
>> YOU, TOO.
WE ARE REALLY GLAD YOU GUYS ARE
HERE.
THIS IS WHY I DANCED, FOR PEOPLE
LIKE YOU GUYS, PEOPLE WHO NEED A
LITTLE HELP, NEED A LITTLE
INSPIRATION.
BECAUSE WE HAVE ALL BEEN THERE.
IT'S CRAZY HOW FOR ME IT WAS
HALF MY LIFE I WAS IN MY CHAIR.
IT WAS SUCH A PART OF ME, AND
FAST-FORWARD A YEAR AND A HALF
LATER, AND IT IS NOW SO FOREIGN
TO ME.
WHICH IS SUPER CRAZY, SUPER
CRAZY.
ERIN: SINCE "DANCING WITH THE
STARS," PEOPLE HAVE COME TO
PROJECT WALK IN STRATHAM FROM
SINGAPORE, GERMANY, ROMANIA --
THE WORD HAS GOTTEN OUT.
MIRACLES HAPPEN HERE.
♪
VICTORIA: "DANCING WITH THE
STARS" HAS DONE A LOT OF REALLY
COOL THINGS.
I THINK PEOPLE THINK ABOUT THE
GLITZ AND GLAM AND SPARKLES, BUT
FOR ME IT WAS SUCH A HEALING
PROCESS.
IT WAS SOMETHING -- IT WAS
HEALING I DID NOT EVEN REALIZE I
NEEDED.
VAL JUST REALLY WAS AN
INCREDIBLE TEACHER.
HE'S AN INCREDIBLE FRIEND AND WE
JUST DID STUFF THAT HAD NEVER
BEEN DONE BEFORE.
ERIN: "DANCING WITH THE STARS"
VETERAN VALENTIN CHMERKOVSKIY
WAS PAIRED WITH VICTORIA, AND
THE DYNAMIC DANCING DUO
INSTANTLY HIT IT OFF.
VICTORIA: WE HAD A LOT OF FUN.
HE'S ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT AND AN
INCREDIBLE DANCER, BUT ALSO
SOMEONE I CAN LEAN ON, SOMEONE
THAT TAUGHT ME TO PUSH PAST
THOSE LIMITATIONS, WHETHER IT
WAS MY OWN INNER LIMITATIONS OR
PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS.
HE REALLY JUST BELIEVED IN ME.
>> ♪ I GOT SMARTER, I GOT HARDER
IN THE NICK OF TIME ♪
ERIN: AFTER EACH DANCE, WE WOULD
HAVE A STRAIGHT-UP CELEBRATION
LIKE WE HAD JUST WON THE STANLEY
CUP, BUT FOR US EACH DANCE WAS A
VICTORY IN ITSELF.
ERIN: THE GLITZ AND THE GLAMOUR
AND HOLLYWOOD LIFESTYLE MAY HAVE
GLITTERED, BUT TEAM VIVA KEPT
THEIR FEET PLANTED FIRMLY ON THE
FLOOR, PRACTICING LONG HOURS AND
TAKING IN EVERY MOMENT.
VICTORIA: DANCING IS REALLY
COOL, AND IT WAS SO MUCH FUN AND
EMPOWERING, JUST THE FACT THAT I
DANCED, BUT THE HEALING ASPECT
TOO, FINDING THE PURPOSE FOR
YOUR PAIN AND SHOWING YOUR
VULNERABILITY AND REALLY MAKING
AN IMPACT.
WE KNEW FROM DAY ONE WE HAD A
BIGGER PURPOSE THAN JUST
DANCING, THAT WAS SECONDARY.
WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO SHOW
THE WORLD THAT NOTHING IS
IMPOSSIBLE AND THAT THERE IS NO
SUCH THING AS LOST CAUSES.
ERIN: THERE ARE ALSO NO DAYS OFF
FOR VICTORIA.
DAILY WORKOUTS ARE A MUST, AND
WHEN SHE'S HOME, ANGELA GARCIA
AT A&G FITNESS HELPS TO KEEP
THOSE LEGS DANCING.
VICTORIA: THIS IS ANGELA.
ANGELA HAS BEEN MY TRAINER FOR
ALMOST FIVE YEARS, SO WHEN I AM
IN TOWN AND I NEED A GOOD BUTT
KICKING, ANGELA IS MY GIRL.
>> THIS IS WHAT MAKES VICTORIA
HAPPY.
WHEN SHE WAS IN HER WHEELCHAIR
STILL, ONE DAY SHE LOOKED AT ME
AND SAID, ANGELA, I AM GOING TO
WEAR STILETTOS TO THE GROCERY
STORE ONE DAY, JUST BECAUSE I
CAN.
AND I LOOKED AT HER AND SAID,
VICTORIA, I BELIEVE YOU.
BECAUSE I KNEW IF SHE WANTED IT,
NOTHING WAS OUTSIDE THE REALM OF
POSSIBILITY FOR HER.
ERIN: VICTORIA EVEN BROUGHT SOME
OF HER DANCE MOVES TO THE FLOOR,
GEARING UP FOR A CLUB CARDIO
CLASS SHE PLANNED TO MAKE A
GUEST APPEARANCE AT.
♪
ERIN: COMING UP NEXT, WHAT
VICTORIA IS DOING TO CHANGE
LIVES WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM A