Woman Wednesday: Alexandra Ramsay

Strength is multifaceted, and the different types of strength often intersect with one another. Just over a year ago, I was in an accident while riding home on my bicycle. I was living in a foreign country at the time. I broke 5 vertebrae in my back, shattered my right clavicle, and had various other wounds from the pavement. I had surgery to reconstruct my clavicle, but the doctors left my back alone, saying the break was clean enough that it would heal properly with time. Needless to say, it was one of the seemingly weakest points of my life. My body was shattered (I couldn't even use the bathroom by myself), and my confidence was shaken. But I was determined, and that was enough. 2 weeks later, in a back brace and sling, I took the 20+ hours of air travel to fly back to the states. I immediately started doing physical therapy, and quite possibly for the first time in my life, I listened to my body and did what I needed to let it heal.

My body did heal with time, and I am stronger than I was before - in all aspects. And I have a sweet scar on my chest as a badge of honor and a reminder of what I am capable of.

Recently, over the course of 3 weeks, I ran a half marathon, played in an ultimate frisbee tournament, and hiked 50 miles of rugged terrain in a 72 hour period. Our bodies and minds (and hearts!) are so resilient and powerful. Sometimes when we feel broken, we need a little reminder of that.

Females are strong as hell. ✊