SCI Superstar: Cody Unser

Paralyzed at the age of 12 by Transverse Myelitis, Cody Unser, daughter of legendary Indy racer Al Unser Jr, has gone on to do a lot of good since her injury. Founding The Cody Unser First Step Foundation, she has lobbied extensively for spinal cord injury research in Washington DC. Read on for her story.

Why She’s Fearless

When Cody suddenly became paralyzed at the age of 12, this lifelong athlete knew right away she wanted to fight to find a cure for paralysis. She and her family founded The Cody Unser First Step Foundation shortly after her injury in 1999 with the goal of raising research funds, public awareness and quality of life for those afflicted with all forms of spinal cord-related paralysis

Also, with the help of her family, Cody has been able to try a huge variety of adaptive sports post-injury. One of the most transformative has been her experience with adaptive SCUBA. Amazingly, when Cody first began diving, she noticed she could feel more in areas of her body that were numb before, as well as move a little bit more below her injury.

Although the effects only lasted a week after the dive, Cody knew she was on to something, so she put together a team of researchers with the help of the Christopher and Dana Reeve foundation to conduct a one-time study. They brought several people with spinal cord injuries diving and nearly everyone reported the same results. She went on to schedule group diving events for people with disabilities regularly. Cody was honored in 2012 by the Red Cross for her foundation’s pioneering scuba study. 

What’s Next?

Cody is the definition of resilient. In 2007, Cody tried racing cars the Redi Auto Track Challenge using Soft Touch hand controls. And although she hasn’t raced since, seeing her pay homage to her family’s racing history put a smile on millions in the racing world. Her amazing story was told in the documentary, Cody: The First Step, that shares the first years of her life post-injury. 

And in 2017, Cody’s sister Shannon Unser directed a 20 minute documentary about Cody’s adaptive diving, and the work she does families and children with disabilities who’ve had an opportunity to go diving with the foundation. It is called Changing Lives One Dive at a Time and won several awards. Cody also went on to graduate with a Masters in Health Policy from George Washington University to help her do an even more amazing job with her foundation. 

— Follow Cody on Instagram

— The Cody Unser First Step Foundation

— “SCUBA Restores Neurological Function”