Page 3 - CMTeen_Volume1_Issue3

MY MOM, AUNT AND GRANDMA all have
CMT, so we had always suspected that I might
as well. When I was a baby, I was late to walk
and never crawled, just scooted. I have ex-
tremely high arches and my feet turn inward
when I walk. I wear orthotics that I keep in my
shoes at all times.
My mom and I went to a neurologist a while
ago to talk about what I will need in the future. to finish. It didn’t matter how I did it as long as
He said that I could choose to wear braces
now, but I will for sure have them in the future. if my legs were about to give out. I just kept
We agreed that I did not want to rely on them
at such a young age. I recently had an EMG
to prove what we already knew was true.
Sometimes I get nervous for the future. Since
CMT is progressive, I know in a few years
I might not be able to do the things I do now.
That is the main reason I wanted to do this
trip—I know I can’t control the future.
At first, there were problems. I climbed the
Colorado Rockies with nothing but orthotics,
taking a break every other step. I then invested
in hiking poles because of how much trouble
I was having and that helped a lot. On the
way down from hikes, I could rely on the poles
and not put as much pressure on my legs. They
also helped with balance issues. In Arches
National Park, I passed out from a heat stroke.
By the time we arrived at Zion National Park
in Utah, I had almost everything figured out.
I knew my limits but still stepped outside my
comfort zone.
Angels Landing in Zion National Park was
the most challenging hike of the entire trip.
The National Park Service describes it this
way: “The route to Angels Landing involves
travel along a steep, narrow ridge with support
chains anchored intermittently along the route.
Footing can be slippery even when the rock is
dry. Unevenly surfaced steps are cut into the
rock with major cliff dropoffs adjacent.
Keep off when it is wet, icy or thunderstorms
are in the area. Plan to be off before dark.
Younger children should skip this trail;
older children must be closely supervised.”
I can proudly say that the Angels Landing trip
was the hardest thing I have ever accomplished,
and I climbed all the way to the top—the full
1,500 feet on my own two legs.
It didn’t matter to me that all of the other
campers waited for more than an hour for me
I got the job done. I didn’t care if I was tired or
going. All I could do when I reached the top
was look around me. Look at the view, look how
far I could see into the distance, look at what
I did. Less than three hours before this,
I had been at the bottom. Less than three hours
before this, no one, including myself, would
have believed I could do this.
This trip made me realize that I want to inspire
and be inspired. My determination to hike and
climb mountains no doubt inspired some of
the campers and counselors on my western
trip. I’ve concluded that a disability itself isn’t
a limit. It’s all in your head and I promise, the
possibilities are endless.
Movie director Tim Burton said, “Every
story has a beginning, middle, and end. Not
necessarily in that order.” The minute I got to
the top of Angels Landing was my beginning.
Zoe Phillips, 15, is a high school sophomore in
the metro Detroit area. In addition to hiking, she
likes to play guitar and sing. She has CMT1A.
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