Photo: Instagram
She's inspirational.
By Rebecca Jane Stokes — Written on May 13, 2019
When you're an active person who is always seeking out the next biggest adrenaline rush, you know that you're taking risks. For many people, no matter how extreme the activity may be, nothing ever goes wrong. But the risk is always something you accept when you live your life on the edge. When Brittany Fisher Frank set out to rappel down a cliff with her college friends, she knew it was risky, but it was also something she'd done a thousand times before. Little did she know, that this climb would change her life forever...Who is Brittany Fisher Frank?
1. The Accident
Brittany Fisher Frank was a bright, active young woman with her whole life spread out before her for the taking. But life has a way of complicating things, and Brittany's life was no exception. She was studying as an undergraduate at Utah State University when, while out on an adventure with some friends, she was the victim of an accident that would transform the remainder of her life. Brittany was going rock climbing with her friends at St. George's Cougar Cliffs in Utah. They had not been out long when she was involved in a serious repelling accident and fell. She told Today: "I fell about 80 to 100 feet. I had a lot of broken bones and the wind knocked out of me.” At the hospital, she learned that she had experienced several major broken bones, the worst of which left her paralyzed from the waist down.
2. Her Perspective
Needless to say, going through such a serious ordeal and receiving such life-changing news wasn't easy for Brittany. She said that she went from being “this adventurous, outgoing, audacious student-athlete to wondering who I am anymor. I grieved the loss. The loss of the running, the loss of legs, the loss of future events." It was a dark time for her, but she wouldn't give up. After mourning the loss of the life she once knew, Brittany got back to work. She underwent countless surgeries to repair the damage that was done to her body, and when the surgeries were done she started the slow process of rehabilitation and in the process, hope was born. "I like to choose joy and I choose optimism," Brittany said about this time.
3. Her Goal
Everyone who knew Brittany was ecstatic to see her tackle her new life the way she tackled her old one: with zest, passion, and enthusiasm. As she worked on making her recovery, she had a friend who was standing by her every step of the way — one of the emergency nurses who was there the night that Brittany was first admitted with her injuries! The duo became best friends. It was this best friend who Brittany revealed her big secret to in 2016: she wanted to return to the scene of her accident, and what's more, she wanted to finish what she set out to do when she fell, rappel down from the top of the cliff face to the bottom. “I wanted to claim and conquer the experience,” she said, and “not leave any what ifs.”
4. A Second Chance
When the time came, Brittany returned to the cliffs, but this time she traveled there with ten volunteers to help her make the climb. "Everyone was really nervous about how they were going to feel that day,” she said. “Like if it was going to bring up anger or frustration, and it really was just a peaceful day for everyone, which really was confirmation that God is in the details of our lives and that he can turn trial into triumph.”
Brittany was raised in the LDS church, and her faith has continued to be central in her life even as she battled her own demons during her recovery. The prayerful attitude before they set about performing the climb made a world of difference, according to Brittany: “We were able to have a prayer before we went out to the cliff, just on the side of the road there as a family, and it’s really cool because it’s been a journey for everyone.”
5. A New Beginning
After successfully making the rappel down the cliff, Brittany felt like almost anything was possible. That said, there was still one area of her life that had her worried. Who, she thought, would want to date or marry a paralyzed woman? Then, she met Trevor, the man who went on to become her husband: “Trevor never knew the old Brittany and it never mattered to him,” she said. “He just jumped right in and loaded my walker on our first date.” Her husband feels the same way: "We’re a team. We make up for each other’s weaknesses,” he said. “We both have areas where we excel and things that are easier for each of us.” It's this kind of support that helps Brittany live every day to the fullest, even if the life she's living now isn't the one she planned.
Rebecca Jane Stokes is a writer living in Brooklyn, New York with her cats, Batman and Margot. She's an experienced generalist with a passion for lifestyle, geek news, pop culture, and true crime. For more of her work, check out her Tumblr.