SCI Superstar: Rachelle Chapman

Rachelle Chapman is more than just the “paralyzed bride” that made national headlines when she was injured. Married and a m0ther, Rachelle has forged an amazing life for herself since her accident at her bachelorette party in 2010.

A busy disability advocate, including being a speaker, author and adaptive athlete, read on to see how Rachelle has persevered, showing the world that a spinal cord injury may be difficult, but you can still live a fulfilling life.

Why She’s Fearless

Growing up in Virginia Beach, Virginia, Rachelle Chapman loved athletics, and that’s what bonded her and her husband, Chris. The two met while attending East Carolina University. They were friends, and then fell in love. An engagement soon followed.

Her life however was upended on May 28th, 2010, at her bachelorette party, Rachelle was playfully pushed into the pool, landing wrong and breaking the 5th and 6th cervical vertebrae. 

After her injury, Rachelle’s story made national news. Everyone wanted to see her get married despite her injury. 1-800 Registry, the wedding site, helped pay for their wedding. The Today Show also invited them on several times, paying for their honeymoon to Fiji.

The couple married a little over a year after her accident in 2011. And in 2015, their daughter Kaylee Rae was born via a surrogate; a joy that fulfilled Rachelle immensely. 

What’s Next?

Now an experienced mother and wife, Rachelle stays busy as a motivational speaker and author, writing articles on her life as a wheelchair-user for sites like The Huffington Post. Check out one of her articles, How to Keep Love in a Relationship. She also wrote a book in 2015, The Promise, that chronicles her injury and she and Chris’ relationship, and it became a New York Times Best Seller.  

Each day Rachelle continues to inspire and show the world (thanks to her fame and thousands of followers) what quadriplegics are capable of.  She did want another child, but that has been put on hold. She and Chris have created an idyllic life for themselves. We can’t wait to see what Gram-worthy adventures they get up to next.

– Visit her site: Diary of a Wheel Girl