โThis canโt all be for nothing.โ
I have said those words since the beginning of everything Iโve been through. Even when I couldnโt understand my own journey, I believed there had to be a greater purpose in what I would do with it.
If sharing my story helps just one person in this life, then I have done my job.
But Lord, I hope it helps a whole bunch of people. โค๏ธ
When I look at these photos of myself speaking at Ms. Wheelchair America, I think about everything that brought me to that microphone.
Abuse. Neglect. Addiction. Loss. Grief. Trauma. Divorce. Motherhood. A life-changing disease. Losing both legs. Learning how to begin again.
There are so many chapters to my story. Somewhere in those chapters, someone else may recognize a piece of their own.
That is why I choose to use my voice.
Because I know what it feels like to be on your knees, crying out to God, โI canโt do this anymore.โ
Iโve been there.
And if that is where you are today, I want you to know that there is hope beyond this moment. You deserve support while you find your way through it. There is still life to live, love to experience, and joy you havenโt met yet.
I am living a life I couldnโt have imagined in some of my darkest moments. That is part of my testimony, too.
So Iโll keep sharing the hard chapters alongside the beautiful ones. Iโll keep showing up, having honest conversations, and using what Iโve lived through to serve a greater purpose.
If you know of an event, conference, church, school classroom, or stage where my message could make a difference, please connect with me. I welcome opportunities to speak about resilience, faith, disability, and rebuilding a life after everything changes.
And if someone comes to mind as you read this, please send it their way. You may be the connection that helps my story reach the person who needs it.
My story is still being written. And I intend to keep using my voice. โค๏ธ
That โI CAN and I WILLโ mindset has gotten me into some pretty interesting situations over the years! ๐๐
And you know what? I wouldnโt change a dang thing!
Lifeโs too short not to have a little FUN along the way, my friends! ๐ชโค๏ธ
๐ก๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐น๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐๐ฟ ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ! ๐
#WhitsGrit #ICanAndIWill #ChooseJoy #LivingWithoutLimits #EverythingIsOvercomable
Thereโs more to accessible parking than most people ever think about. โฟ
Sarah shares concerns about differences in parking placardsโand why awareness is just the beginning of her advocacy.
๐๏ธ Our full conversation is available everywhere podcasts are streamed! Find Whitโs Grit Episode 15 through the link in my bio and stories. ๐
#WhitsGrit #PodcastClips #AccessibleParking #AccessibilityMatters #DisabilityAdvocacy
TOOLS GONE WILD is back tonight! ๐ ๏ธ๐ฅ
@jamie2gs and I are going LIVE tonight โ Sunday, October 25 at 6 PM CST on @NameBrndOvrstks eBay LIVE!
They picked up new inventory, and tonight weโre also throwing in another fun surprise ๐๐
So trust meโฆ you do not want to miss it.
Weโll be live untilโฆ weโre not! ๐
Come hang out with us, check out the deals, and grab some awesome finds.
๐ Christmas is coming, so this is a great chance to start knocking out gifts early!
๐Join us on Name Brand Overstocks on eBay LIVE
#ToolsGoneWild #eBayLive #NameBrandOverstocks #LiveAuction #ToolDeals
Tune in here: ebay.com/ebaylive/sellers/xnโฆ
New state. Bigger campus. A whole new chapter. ๐โฟ
Sarah shares the mobility decision that helped her navigate college with more independenceโand why it was one of her best decisions.
๐๏ธ Listen to Whitโs Grit Episode 15 everywhere podcasts are streamed. Full episode linked in my bio and stories! ๐
#WhitsGrit #PodcastClip #WheelchairLife #CollegeAccessibility #CentralCoreDisease
Another first with @jamie2gs this weekendโmy first EVER hockey game! ๐๐ฅ
And itโs safe to say Iโm HOOKED!! ๐คฉ
The @midsouthhockey won their first home game, I got to meet the mascot, AND I made a couple of new amputee friends that Iโm sure Iโll be seeing plenty more of this season!
Iโm SO glad hockey is back in the Mid-Southโฆyโall have a HUGE fan in this gal for sure!!
๐๐๐งโ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐ข๐ข๐ข๐ข!! ๐๐ฅ
#HockeyIsBack #Hockey #WhitsGrit #MidsouthMonarchs #afventuresofjamieandwhit
If youโd told me a few years ago where life would take me, I NEVER wouldโve believed you! ๐ฅนโค๏ธ
There was a time when the unknown absolutely terrified me.
But these days? Iโm learning to embrace it. To trust the journey, enjoy the unexpected, and find beauty in all the possibilities ahead.
I have NO IDEA what this next chapter holdsโฆ
๐๐๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป, ๐ฎ๐บ ๐ ๐ฒ๐
๐ฐ๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ณ๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ผ๐๐! ๐ฅฐ
Everything is OVERCOMABLE. โค๏ธ
#WhitsGrit #TrustTheJourney #NewBeginnings #EmbraceTheUnknown #EverythingIsOvercomable
Whitney Lavender โฟ๏ธ๐ฆฟ๐ค retweeted
Crack the Red Bull. Not the skull. Too pretty for prison especially over a blue-haired Dem. Memphis Queen rules. ๐
Whitney Lavender โฟ๏ธ๐ฆฟ๐ค retweeted
My coworker spent one year in Tennessee.
He came back to Tokyo two months ago.
He is not the same man.
He says "y'all" in meetings. To our boss.
He holds the door for the entire floor. Twelve people. Every morning.
He asked the convenience store clerk how her day was going. She had to sit down.
He calls every man "bud." Including the CEO.
He refuses to describe anything under three hours away as "far."
He waves at drivers who let him cross. One driver waved back and almost hit a pole.
Last week, he told a junior employee, "I'm proud of you."
She went to the restroom and cried for ten minutes.
We thought it would wear off.
It didn't. It's spreading.
Three people in accounting now say "y'all."
The junior employee holds the door.
The convenience store clerk asks HIM how his day is going.
Tennessee, I don't know what you did to him.
Please do it to the rest of us.
Whitney Lavender โฟ๏ธ๐ฆฟ๐ค retweeted
JUST IN ๐จ Dr Stella is calling on Texans to storm the polls to make sure Talarico & his ilk NEVER gets elected in the great state of Texas!
Dr. @stella_immanuel is an American hero who saved many American lives during Covid with Ivermectin & never wavered even as the left threatened to have her medical license revoked..
She is a Texas resident who is calling on all conservatives to VOTE RED to keep the tyrants who locked us down, out of office!
Whitney Lavender โฟ๏ธ๐ฆฟ๐ค retweeted
Retweet if you can define what a woman is.
The @WNBA needs some help!
He parked his car. Sarah was left wondering how sheโd get back into hers.
Those striped access aisles have a purposeโand this story explains exactly why they need to stay clear. โฟ
๐๏ธ Hear Sarah Kinneyโs full conversation on Whitโs Grit Episode 15, available everywhere podcasts are streamed. Link in my bio and stories! ๐
#WhitsGrit #SarahKinney #DisabilityAdvocacy #AccessibleParking #PodcastClips
What an awesome morning! ๐
Today I had the privilege of virtually sharing my story and leading meaningful discussions about disability with four high school classes at San Jacinto Christian Academy in Amarillo, TX.
We talked about respect, dignity, inclusion, acceptance, and looking beyond appearances to get to know the person. I shared encouragement, challenged assumptions, and offered some practical dos and donโts for treating people with disabilities with kindness and consideration.
At the heart of it all: we are each created in Godโs image, with value and purpose. A disability doesnโt change that.
And, of course, I loved wrapping up with Q&Aโฆbecause letโs be honestโeveryone has a question for the lady with no legs. ๐ Making room for thoughtful questions is one way we grow in understanding!
A huge thank-you to their teacher and my friend, Sandi, for reaching out and inviting me into these conversations, and to the students for spending part of their morning with me.
This is why I share my story. If it helps someone see another personโand their own possibilitiesโa little differently, it matters. ๐
#DisabilityAwareness #DisabilityAdvocate #InclusionMatters #AskDontAssume #SeeThePerson
There was a time when I couldnโt make sense of any of it.
The pain. The loss. The heartbreak. Having to pick myself up and start over again and again.
I couldnโt understand WHY I had to go through so much.
But looking at moments like this, surrounded by incredible women, using my voice, sharing my story, and doing work that truly matters to meโฆ
๐ ๐ธ๐ป๐ผ๐ ๐โ๐บ ๐ฒ๐
๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐น๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐โ๐บ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฒ. โค๏ธ
I wouldnโt have chosen the road that brought me here. Not in a million years.
But I also wouldnโt trade the purpose Iโve found, the people Iโve met, or the woman Iโve become along the way.
Iโve said it before, and Iโll say it againโฆ
๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐โ๐๐ฒ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต ๐๐๐กโ๐ง ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด.
And the more I live, the more I see God revealing that purpose, one beautiful connection and opportunity at a time. ๐โค๏ธ
So if life has completely turned yours upside down, please donโt assume youโve reached the end of your story.
Sometimes the chapters we never wanted lead us somewhere we never knew we belonged.
Everything is OVERCOMABLE. โค๏ธ
#WhitsGrit #FindingYourPurpose #DisabilityAdvocacy #FaithAndPurpose #EverythingIsOvercomable
Sheโs a queen, a community leader, and a woman using her voice to protect something too many people take for granted: the ability to get out and live their lives. ๐๐โฟ๏ธ
Sarah Kinney, Ms. Wheelchair South Carolina 2026 and 2nd Runner-Up at Ms. Wheelchair America 2027, joins me for Episode 15 of Whitโs Grit - and Iโm so excited for you to meet her!
Through her platform, โProtect the Space,โ Sarah is showing why accessible parking means so much more than a spot close to the door. It means safety, independence, and being able to show up.
We talk life beyond the crown, finding unexpected opportunities, stepping outside your comfort zone, and why you donโt need a title to make a difference. Sarah brings warmth, humor, and a perspective that will have you thinking long after the episode ends. โค๏ธ
๐๏ธ The full episode is OUT NOW! Listen wherever you tune in to podcasts, or watch our conversation on YouTube.
youtu.be/pQYj554lNt8
#WhitsGrit #Podcast
๐ง๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ช๐๐๐๐: This was the very FIRST time I stood on my prosthetic leg. ๐ฅนโค๏ธ
Watching this now hits me in a way I canโt quite explain.
Iโd already lost so much. My right leg was gone, and I was trying to figure out how to put the pieces of my life back together.
What I didnโt know was that Iโd eventually lose my LEFT leg, too.
But you know what else I didnโt know?
๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ง ๐๐ข๐ช ๐๐ข๐ข๐ ๐ ๐ฌ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ช๐๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐๐ก๐ ๐ง๐ข ๐๐๐ง. โค๏ธ
The woman in this video had no idea about the adventures sheโd have, the incredible people sheโd meet, the doors that would open, or the purpose sheโd find in everything sheโd been through.
Iโm not going to pretend those losses werenโt devastating. They were. And Iโm certainly not going to pretend the road was easy.
But what I once thought was the end of so many things turned out to be the beginning of a life I never could have imagined.
If I could go back and tell that woman just ONE thing, it would beโฆ
๐๐ถ๐ฟ๐น, ๐ท๐๐๐ ๐ช๐๐๐ง ๐๐ป๐๐ถ๐น ๐๐ผ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ผ ๐ป๐ฒ๐
๐! ๐ฅน๐ช
Today, I have no legs. But my life? Itโs bigger, fuller, and more beautiful than I ever dared to dream.
So if youโre in a season of loss, uncertainty, or starting over, please donโt assume this is where your story ends.
๐ฌ๐ผ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐ก๐ข ๐๐๐๐ ๐ต๐ผ๐ ๐ด๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ด๐ฒ๐. โค๏ธ
Everything is OVERCOMABLE.
#WhitsGrit #LifeAfterLoss #AmputeeLife #Resilience #EverythingIsOvercomable
Some prayers Iโm still waiting on. Others Iโm already LIVING in. ๐ฅนโค๏ธ
Itโs easy to get so caught up in what weโre praying FOR that we forget to appreciate everything God has already blessed us WITH.
A little reminder to count your blessings today, my friends. Even the little ones. ๐โค๏ธ
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒโ๐ ๐ฆ๐ข ๐บ๐๐ฐ๐ต ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ฒ๐ณ๐๐น ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ.
#WhitsGrit #CountYourBlessings #FaithAndGratitude #GratefulHeart #EverythingIsOvercomable
Whitney Lavender โฟ๏ธ๐ฆฟ๐ค retweeted
Memphis: TOMORROW the City Council takes its FINAL vote on a 12-month moratorium on new data-center permits. ๐ A pause means fewer jobs, fewer tax dollars, and less momentum for our city. City air tests near the site found no dangerous levels. Let's set smart rules, not slam the brakes.
๐๏ธ Tues., Oct. 20 ยท 4:00 p.m. ยท City Hall Council Chambers (Lobby Floor), 125 N. Main St. Fill out an appearance card to speak.
Show up. Speak up. NO moratorium. ๐ Sources in replies. My opinion.














