SCI Superstar: Tasha Schuh

Author, motivational speaker and Ms. Wheelchair USA 2012, Tasha Schuh from Wisconsin is one of the most upbeat quadriplegics on the planet.

But she wasn’t always this way. After a year of depression post-injury, she started to see life with paralysis was still possible, and began to look forward to heal – a common saying that was soon to become her mantra.

Why She’s Fearless

While working on a theater production in high school, Tasha stepped into an open trap door, falling 16 feet and breaking her C5 vertebrae. After 6 months in rehab, worried what life held in store for her, she began to push forward, not dwelling on what she lost but what she still had.

She focused on education. After high school, Tasha went to Winona State University and graduated with a degree in Communication Studies and Music. Then she attended Maranatha College, where she received a degree in Theology. Christianity has played a big part in Tasha’s mental recovery post-injury and is a focal point of her present-day life.

Tasha decided to become a motivational speaker after college, and has given thousands of speeches across the Upper Midwest for years. She speaks at schools, businesses, organizations and churches. Her message is how to be resilient when faced with difficult circumstances. She gives youth the necessary tools to be resilient in both their mental and emotional health. Part of her speech is also focused on suicide prevention.

Tasha is also an accomplished author. In 2012, she published, My Last Step Backwards, which is an autobiography detailing her injury and moving on. She published a second book, My Next Move Forward, in 2017 that dispels myths and stereotypes of people with disabilities and discusses how she met her husband online, as well as dating and sex as a woman with a disability.

Tasha can also say she was crowned Ms. Wheelchair USA. In 2012, she was given that honor. And after meeting her husband in 2013 on Christian mingle, they were engaged 6 months after dating. Her husband of a former TV weatherman and is now her manager.

What’s Next?

Tasha and her husband Doug are busier than ever with Tasha’s speaking career. During the pandemic, she managed to stay busy in spite of the world closing down. It seems the need for her message will never be diminished. Her ability to touch people’s hearts with her speaking ability is without question one of her greatest talents. And she also loves to sing, releasing an original song 2013. 

— Visit her site: TashaSchuh.com