# Paralympian un-paralyzed by crash **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [December 9, 2011, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paralympian-un-paralyzed-by-crash/605645 "2011-12-09T17:55:19Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Trom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paralympian-un-paralyzed-by-crash/605645/1 "2011-12-09T17:55:19Z")
See story [here.](http://bodyodd.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/09/9323654-un-paralyzed-by-a-crash-doctors-say-its-unlikely) > [@](#): > > It sounds like a plot right out of a TV movie: A woman paralyzed since the age of 13 miraculously regains feeling in her legs and is able to walk again after being injured in a traffic accident. > > But that’s exactly what 27-year-old Monique van der Vorst says happened to her two years ago. Van der Vorst had turned to hand-cycling after losing feeling in her legs as a teen. She got so good that she won two silver medals in the Paralympics. > > Two years ago while she was on the road training for the 2012 Paralympics, Van der Vorst was mowed down by a speeding bicyclist. > > While in the hospital after the collision with the bicyclist, van der Vorst says she suddenly developed a tingling in her legs – and within a year she was walking again. This seems like something that could be easily verified. Seeing as she was a paralympian I would think there would be records/verification of her former paralysis. If true, this is pretty amazing. ---
**Author:** ![pravnik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8edcca/32.png) [@pravnik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pravnik)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paralympian-un-paralyzed-by-crash/605645/2 "2011-12-09T17:58:09Z")
“Damn, there goes the gold.” ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paralympian-un-paralyzed-by-crash/605645/3 "2011-12-09T18:30:04Z")
[Monique van der Vorst in the 2008 Paralympics](http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/mediafile/200809/12/P200809121454501439725650.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paralympian-un-paralyzed-by-crash/605645/4 "2011-12-09T18:35:15Z")
Amazing if true, but I’m reminded of [this](http://movieclips.com/VMFc2-trading-places-movie-i-can-see/). (SFW movie clip.) ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paralympian-un-paralyzed-by-crash/605645/5 "2011-12-09T20:28:09Z")
Paging Dr. Shuffhausen! ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2011, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paralympian-un-paralyzed-by-crash/605645/6 "2011-12-09T20:30:55Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > Paging Dr. Shuffhausen! Look! She’s so happy she’s crying! ---
**Author:** ![Ale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@Ale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ale)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2011, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/paralympian-un-paralyzed-by-crash/605645/7 "2011-12-10T01:09:35Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Amazing if true, but I’m reminded of [this](http://movieclips.com/VMFc2-trading-places-movie-i-can-see/). (SFW movie clip.) It reminded me of [this movie](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U74s8nFE7No). “Bloody do-gooders!” 😃 I wonder what kind of, ehh… _corrective_ injury she received on the second accident, whether her spine was affected or, as they mention, the peripheral nerves; if it’s a case of moving things around a bit, like a rusty electrical connection that you jiggle a bit to make it work or if the accident triggered some healing reaction.