Tuesday, January 18, 2022

Celebrate Lit Blog Tour: Live the Impossible by Jenny Smith

Book: Live the Impossible

Author: Jenny Smith

Genre: Memoir

Release date: July, 2021

Jenny Smith was a typical teenager—a gymnast and athlete who loved hair and makeup, played in a band, and was active in her church youth group.

Then one bright summer morning, a spinal cord injury left her paralyzed from the chest down and dependent on others for her most basic needs. Privacy and independence seemed like things of the past.

But Jenny refused to give up or give in to her disability, and over time she discovered that a wheelchair could take her places she’d never dared to imagine. She’s traveled multiple times to Afghanistan and Mexico for wheelchair distributions and sports camps, and even rolled the New York City runway as a model during Fashion Week.

Today, Jenny Smith is a spokesperson for independent and vibrant living with a disability. Her speeches, articles, and social media presence have touched thousands of lives.

In Live the Impossible, Smith shares what it looks like to live with paralysis, from the everyday details most people never think about, to the countless people who have impacted her life along the way. With honesty and humor, faith and fortitude, Jenny shows us how we can all live the impossible, even when life doesn’t go as planned.

Click here to get your copy!

I really enjoy reading Memoirs, as they are really eye opening to a persons life. I recently had the opportunity to read Live the Impossible: How a Wheelchair has Taken Me Places I Never Dared to Imagine by Jenny Smith.

Jenny Smith was a 16yr old Gymnast and a fun loving Teenager. Her life changed in a instant when on a Summer Morning a Spinal Cord injury left her paralyzed from the neck down. Jenny was now a Quadriplegic. Jenny knew that should would have to lean on others to help her with basic everyday tasks. She didn't want to lose her independence in life, even when her life now included a wheelchair for getting around. Jenny quickly discovered how her Wheelchair was her "ride" to Independence.

WOW, this book is a tear jerker from the very first chapter. I REALLY LOVE how determined Jenny was from the very start of her accident to make sure that her life didn't stop at this point. She understood there were things like Gymnastics and Band that she wouldn't be able to participate in again, but she was determined to live a LIFE! I LOVE how she really leans on her faith in God to help her get through the tasks of life. She has used her wheelchair to be able to "Go Places" and enjoy life. I cried a good cry while reading this book as Jenny is such an inspiration to many. I feel like I have nothing to "whine" about being an able bodied person. Jenny does so much more then many able bodied people. I LOVE how Jenny has taken her accident and become a Spokesperson for those with Disabilities and to speak out on how Independent Living is not out of reach! GREAT BOOK!

Jenny Smith is an advocate, peer mentor, and encourager for those living with spinal cord injuries, and anyone who has faced unexpected or seemingly impossible challenges. Her popular blog and YouTube channel, Jenny Smith Rolls On, explore the practical aspects of life as a quadriplegic. She also speaks to associations and businesses, schools and universities, and faith-based groups. Jenny works full-time supporting and encouraging cross-cultural workers. She lives in Louisville, Kentucky, where she rows on the Ohio River with the Louisville Adaptive Rowing program.

You can find out more at www.jennysmithrollson.com.

More from Jenny

“I will never write a book.”

I can’t tell you how many times I said those words. How and why did I publish a book after saying I will never so many times?

For several years, I was writing as a side job for a medical supply company. To learn more about the craft of writing, I signed up for an online class. The instructor invited me to take her next class on writing your life story.

That’s when it happened. I felt a little tap on my shoulder and heard—or felt—the words, “It’s time.”

I groaned.

Since my spinal cord injury at the age of 16, I said never and that’s impossible innumerable times. I had said the words before traveling to Mexico and Afghanistan. As I dreamed of living independently as a quadriplegic. I’d said never to playing wheelchair tennis, rugby, and para-rowing. My words that’s impossible and never were proved wrong time and again.

So I started writing.

It turns out I’ve lived what I believed was impossible.

In July 2021, on the 32nd anniversary of my spinal cord injury, my family, friends, and community celebrated with me at the launch party for my memoir Live the Impossible.

Although the book centers on my story of becoming a quadriplegic at 16 and the trials and adventures that followed, the lessons I learned in the years to come are universal:

How I found my identity
The importance of taking a risk
How I became comfortable in my own body
Acknowledging I have little to offer and yet seeing God do things I could never imagine

We all have unexpected circumstances in life. But I believe we can all live the impossible, even when life doesn’t go as planned.