Religion & Spirituality
After graduating from college, Hannah Gavios followed her adventurous spirit to Vietnam to teach and explore a new country. A weekend vacation to Thailand promised rest and relaxation, but Hannah encountered evil at the hands of a stranger instead. After he sexually assaulted her, she unknowingly ran away in the direction of a cliff. As it was nighttime, she did not know she was running off a 150-foot cliff. The horrific pain she endured through the night was coupled with additional assaults by the stranger who ran down to where she landed. Doctors did everything they could when Hannah arrived in the Emergency Room eight hours after her attack, but paralysis from her waist down was the horrific outcome after enduring the horror of that evening.Hannah felt bitterness and anger for some time after the attack. But she didn't want to remain there, so worked hard in physical therapy to strengthen her body as much as possible. She watched runners running at Central Park and longed to experience again "the high" she felt when she ran. Determined not to let the paralysis steal the joy she found when running, she began training for the New York City marathon. Since then, she's run the marathon twice using her crutches and will run it again this November. Additionally, she loves being a yoga instructor.Hannah's positive attitude and encouragement to others to keep picking yourself up when you encounter life's tough challenges is crazy inspiring! You rock, Hannah!Follow Hannah on Instagram @hannahgavios.