rocking about it from a
wheelchair.
>> We love them.
She always dreamed of being a
dancer and nothing was going to
stop her.
Take a look.
>> I was a senior in high school
out at a party with friends and
we were all drinking.
We needed a ride home so my
friend offered to drive us.
I just remember seeing this
tree
in front of us and we went down
an embankment hitting a tree
head-on going about 40 miles per
hour.
I was instantly paralyzed.
You know, I never thought you
could lose half of your body.
I never thought this was
possible.
When you have a spinal cord
injury, you basically have to
relearn how to do all of the
daily things, getting dressed,
how do you cook?
How do you do laundry?
How do you get out of bed?
How do you shower?
I always had that fire of dance
with me.
I started moving again with my
chair.
It felt so different when I
looked in the mirror but then
when I performed, I started
feeling like I was myself again
and I started feeling normal.
It's so fun to be able to go out
on to the dance floor with other
girls that are also in
wheelchairs and just be able to
express ourselves.
Oh, god, don't cry.
I honestly have no idea where I
would be emotionally and
mentally in life if I didn't
have the rollettes.
They give me a purpose to wake
up every morning.
And they give me a reason on why
I feel like this happened to me.
So, yeah.
I really have no idea where I
would be in life without them.
>> And we have them here!
How did all of this come about?
You told us about that moment
that means so much to you.
>> Yeah, I really started this
in the beginning because I
wanted to feel a sense of
normal.
I really wanted friends, you
know, becoming injured at the
age of 17 and being classified
as disabled, I had no idea what
my life was going to be like so
I reached out on social media
and found amazing girls who were
similar to me.
>> We thought it was interesting
just the idea to have a space
where you could be looking at
someone eye level, eye contact,
eye to eye and the difference
that makes for your day.
>> Yes, it's incredible to roll
into a dance studio and have
girls that are at eye level with
you.
It just changes your whole
perspective on life really.
>> What was it like for you guys
when Chelsea reached out and you
saw this opportunity?
>> So for me, I found the
rollettes via social media.
I had been a dancer my whole
life so being able to have dance
still at an outlet for me is
just an incredible feeling and
what I didn't expect when I
joined the rollettes was the
sense of community and
sisterhood and like tremendous
support that I get from the team
and that we can bring to 200
women from all over the world as
the rollettes' experience.
>> You talk about the rollettes'
experience but what exactly does
that look like?
Tell us about that.
>> Because dance is dance.
>> Yes, there are a lot of
women's events of power with
disabilities, particularly that
use wheelchairs.
It started back in 2012 because
basically I wanted friends and
to get a group of girls
together.
Posted a video and every year it
got bigger and bigger.
This past August we had 175
women and kids from 10
countries.
>> Wow.
>> It was so incredible to go
into a room and everyone was at
eye level.
There were people who had never
been around other wheelchair
users.
It's grown to be a big thing
really needed in our community.
>> You guys are going to perform
what number are we doing today?
We're doing one of the
routines from the rollette's
experience actually.
>> 0 yes!
>> Here we go.
Are you ready to dance?
Let's see it, girls!
♪♪