Katie Napiwocki,  —

Katie is a Wisconsin girl at heart who strives to paint with her words, illustrating a soulful connection with nature and inclusive outdoor adventure. She was diagnosed with SMA (type 2) during toddlerhood. With a background in Human Development & Family Studies, she finds fulfillment in encouraging others to embrace their distinctive beauty. When she's not engaging in advocacy, you'll likely find her hiking an accessible trail, adoring a sunset, or eating a s'more somewhere beside the three brightest rays of sunlight in her life — her partner, Nick, and his two awesome kiddos. Follow her story on Instagram @wheelprintsalongthewildflowers.

Articles by Katie Napiwocki

A Rare Disease Traveler Finds Her Village

I was once a rare traveler wandering the countryside. On my shoulders, I carried a basket of artifacts and relics. Each piece correlated to moments in my life when I’ve felt something within my heart — things both small or grand, benevolent or wicked — falling deep and deliberate like…

A Vixen Scream: Navigating Sex and SMA

It cried out in the dead of night. The wild call erupted like the sensual panic of a volcano beneath placid moonlight. My partner, Andy, was helping me get situated in bed for the night when the startling sound rang from the woodland edge outside our bedroom window.  “That’s…

An Aquarian With SMA Packs for the New Year

When each human is born, a map of ethereal territories is drawn up in a distinct way.  For every passing minute and hour within a calendar date, an interior designer of celestial proportions is commissioned to align the stars, planets, and moon in a timeless fashion. Like the swinging…