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Janine Shepherd: How Can We Redefine Ourselves After A Tragedy?

Part 1 of theTED Radio Hour episode The Person You Become.

About Janine Shepherd's TED Talk

Janine "the machine" Shepherd was a cross-country skier bound for Olympic greatness, when an accident left her paralyzed. She describes her struggle to redefine her identity beyond being an athlete.

About Janine Shepherd

Janine Shepherd is a public speaker and author of several books including Defiant: A Memoir.

Shepherd had been an aspiring Olympic cross-country skier. She was nearly killed when she was hit by a truck during a training bike ride. Paralyzed and immobile for six months, she was given a grim picture for recovery.

Not only did she teach herself to walk again — she learned to fly — becoming an aerobatics pilot.

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NPR/TED Staff