A Wildflower in the Wheelderness - a Column by Katie Napiwocki

resilience, childhood art

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 II during toddlerhood. With a background in human development and family studies, she finds fulfillment in encouraging others to embrace their distinctive beauty. When she’s not engaging in advocacy or writing, you’ll likely find her hiking an accessible trail, adoring a sunset, or eating a s’more somewhere. She has three companions who hold her heart — two of which travel by paws (the other has human feet). Follow her story on Instagram @wheelprintsalongthewildflowers.

Living on My Own: Reinvention and Self-love With SMA

For the first time as an adult, I’ve met the stranger within myself.  I’ve been exploring the unknown caverns winding deep inside my heart, not from an underground entrance, but instead, closer to the clouds than I’ve been in a long while. My environment and scenery look…

Through Chaos and Calm, I Voyage Onward

It was a classic Midwestern summer day on Lake Michigan as my friend Sarah and I parked by the Wisconsin docks of the Sailing Education Association of Sheboygan.  As we geared up for an afternoon of adaptive sailing, the breeze blew stronger, carrying the metallic rasp of…