Victoria Arlen, I have a question for you. You're an author,
a former Paralympian, a TV presenter, model, actress. The list goes on,
but tell me a little bit about your life that got you to this point.
You have such an incredible, amazing story.
When I was 11 I developed two incredibly rare neurological conditions that
quickly paralyzed me from the waist down,
but also took away
And unbeknownst to anyone
And so I'm listening to what's going on. And so I just decided in that moment,
A, my story doesn't end in defeat, but also B,
I'm going to create a pretty hefty bucket list. By the grace of God,
four years later came out and really just decided to just make the most of
that second chance.
And I spent 10 years in a wheelchair and I started walking about four years in
April, so four years ago in April.
So many of us in the outside world hear the term locked in but they've never had
the opportunity to speak to someone who's experienced that.
Can you walk me through literally what that was like?
I remember getting this crushing headache and then I kind of came to what I
didn't realize was like a year later and so I'm,
my eyes are open and I'm hearing everyone kind of hustle and bustle around and I
was in the hospital at this point and uh,
and I was having a full on conversation, at least what I thought.
Panic obviously struck. But then I was like, wait,
how did I get here?
And also me panicking right now is not going to be productive.
So in that moment I kind of had to decide, well, all right,
this is not an ideal situation, but I'm alive.
My brain's working as much as it would be nice to be a little oblivious to the
situation, it also is nice to have my thoughts and myself still intact.
It's really just the simple fact that you can't do anything, you literally can
see and hear wherever your eyes are fixed. And that's it.
Now fast forward to the Paralympics.
Talk to me how you got from the hospital bed to Paralympics.
I still don't know. I mean,
I started coming to in February of 2010, so 2010 was a year of trying to
navigate the world and, and at least get back what abilities I could get back, and
when I came back, I was like, no, I'm good. I, I can't swim.
I'm one of triplets. So I have two triplet brothers and I have an older brother.
They decided that they were going to teach me how to swim again and they were
going to help me get over that fear. So they strapped on a life jacket,
grabbed my arms, grabbed my legs,
and threw me in the water and helped me get over that fear. That fall,
I kind of started the life jacket, came off and I was like, wait,
I can still swim. And so about a year out from the games,
I went to my first Paralympic qualifier meet and did really well.
And that was kind of when I started to set my sights on London and I found an
incredible coach who in a matter of two month's time, we went from,
I went from swimming, you know,
2,000 yards to 10,000 yards and breaking one world record and another world record.
And so he really kind of was like, look, we're going for this.
This is not just a matter of making the team anymore.
We're going to make an impact, make a splash.
Almost like two years to the day of winning gold, my brothers,
it was the time period of them throwing me in the water and then me,
me winning gold.
You've always had this sort of idea of what you want and that stubbornness that
keeps you going just by everything you've been through.
Where does that come from within you?
Like how have you just maintained that and fostered it for so long?
I had a very humbling moment in my vegetative state.
And you know, when you think about something, it gets worse and worse and worse.
And I remember laying there and I was like, yes,
there was a million other things going on and we didn't know if I was going to
make it to tomorrow,
but I remember laying there not being able to scratch my nose. And I was like,
goodness gracious,
And how everything that I've done, I always like,
will take a moment and scratch my nose.
And sometimes it's more discrete than other times.
I spoke at an event a couple months ago and I made 20,000 people all scratch
their nose and I was just like, take a minute, scratch your nose.
If you're ever overwhelmed, spinning out or feeling like you can't do something,
And it's something that a lot of people can't do.
Why is it still so important for you to go back and revisit that time of your life?
I would imagine so many people would just want to push it away and not revisit it.
It was actually something I didn't want to share. I just wanted to be normal.
I didn't know the impact my story could have.
I was actually slightly terrified about sharing my story because my story
I think it wasn't my ideal path of wanting to revisit and share it
but also realizing there's a lot of people that are stuck at rock bottom.
Maybe they're maybe not literally locked in,
but they're metaphorically going through something that is kind of locking them
down or making them feel like they can't get their head above water.
And so if I can just help one person realize, look, keep swimming,
keep climbing like you're going to get there.
I spoke at this corporate event and there was,
there was so many people there and I was doing a meet and greet and I saw this guy
literally push up past
everyone like past the line and everything and I was kind of like, oh,
like what's this guy situation? He's a grown man.
He was probably in his late fifties and he was crying and he came up to me and
he proceeded to tell me that, that he was planning on taking his life that week.
He had this work trip and he was like,
I had gotten all my affairs in order and decided I was going to go on this trip
and then, that was going to be it. And I wasn't coming to your talk.
He's like, but I saw everyone was coming in and I just decided to sit in the back,
and he goes,
And he's like I'm going to fight. He's like, I'm going to put one foot in front of the other.
And I know that my story doesn't end like this.
And he walked away and before I could even say anything more, he just left.
And I remember I finished the meet and greet,
I got up to my room and I like started sobbing and I started crying.
I'm crying and I called my mom and she's like,
But you were also so young. I imagine there has to be a challenge
there, grappling with this platform and this effect you have on people and also
coming into your own identity as a human being.
Actually, I had a mental breakdown on, uh,
on new year's ringing in 2018. I was working a late night shift at ESPN and I
went into the bathroom and just started sobbing.
It was like the first time I cried and I like called my mom and I was like,
I don't know what's going on here. And she just said to me, she's like,
it's okay to not be okay. No one had ever said that to me and
What people don't realize,
the circumstances don't define how you're feeling inside. And I was not,
I didn't realize that. And so I was like kind of dying on the inside and,
but everything was great and I had this job and these careers and people,
people wanted me to do things and people cared what I had to say. And so I was,
I had like this hero complex, so I was like, no, everything's fine. I'm great.
We're blessed, it's fine. And all that is true,
but it's so— even, like, even Superman needed to take his cape off.
How do you feel about the word inspiration or inspirational?
I actually hated the word inspiration for a very long time because when I was in
a wheelchair,
like when I'd be out with my friends or going to the grocery store,
people would, I'd be like grabbing a bag of chips,
like Doritos and people would be like, you're so inspiring. And I was like,
it's not inspiring. Like it, you can say empowering or, you know what I mean?
And so then I started to hear the real stories of the people,
of how people were inspired.
So it was no longer based off of what I was doing or what, you know,
being in a wheelchair, you know, it was more so like,
this is how you inspired me or this is how,
and so I think it's evolved in my, in my, um,
in my brain.
So you've done so much already, but I know you're still doing more stuff.
I mean, what is on the horizon for you?
Well, 'American Ninja Warrior Junior,' I am the,
I'm the new cohost with Matt and Akbar and I am so excited.
I've been such a fan of the franchise and the whole Ninja mindset is something I
really gel with.
And then these kids are just insane and I've never felt so uncoordinated in my
entire life. Like truly, truly. Um, so it's like doing stuff like that.
It's continuing to be challenged and having fun along the way and trying to make
an impact too. But these kids impacted me.
These are teeny, tiny humans who are, you know,
9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14 who are inspiring people and who are going out there and
taking those leaps of faith and, and making an impact along the way,
but have a voice, which is so cool because we all need a voice.
Everybody's going through something.
And when you can be a voice for someone who may not have a voice,
it's a pretty special thing.