SCI Superstar: Vahen King

A spinal cord injury always comes when you least expect it. For Vahen King, her paralysis arrived just after getting engaged, but she never let it stop her. She’s the first ever Ms. Wheelchair Canada, a published author, a certified life coach and a motivational speaker. Reaching these goals however wasn’t easy. Vahen had to fight some serious personal demons along the way.

What makes Vahen’s story unique is that it’s laced with a faith component and a love story, including man (who’s now her husband) who’s been by her side the entire way. Determined to help the world no matter what she does, Vahen is a force you will never forget. 

Why She’s Fearless?

A resident of Alberta, Canada, Vahen’s faith has been the biggest factor in her life. A life-long Christian, she fell in love with Jesus as a little girl and by the time she graduated from high school in 1992, she had decided to attend a popular bible college. While she was in school, true love struck. She met a man and 9 months later they were engaged. A week after their engagement however, Vahen found herself paralyzed.

After being rushed to the ER, she was diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis. Vahen was suddenly paralyzed from the chest down. Only 24 years old at the time, she was in shock and angry with God. She did gain a significant amount of function back and is now (function-wise) an incomplete paraplegic, but Vahen uses a wheelchair most of the day; although she can stand and walk short distances.

After her injury, she doubted herself and asked her fiancé if he still wanted her. He replied, “God gave you to me. I am not going to send you back.” They married, but shortly afterwards the couple began to encounter difficulties. Vahen had a miscarriage, and after graduating from college, she didn’t feel grounded. Somehow Vahen overcame her depression by restoring her faith, and was able to become a certified life coach as well and an ordained minister.

She also wrote an autobiography in 2016 called Going Farther. Her book chronicles her injury and journey afterwards. Vahen is also a motivational speaker and makes videos that give how-to/coping advice to SCI survivors.

And in 2017, Vahen is also the winner of the first Ms. Wheelchair Canada pageant. She also represented Canada at the Miss Wheelchair World pageant in 2017, winning the Miss Kindness Award.

What’s Next?

Outside of running her own ministry and life coach business, winning Ms. Wheelchair Canada opened up many avenues of connecting with the media and the world. In 2021, she won the Women of Inspiration Influencer Award, and in 2023 she was featured in the docuseries highlighting wheelchair-users’ lives, Push.

Vahen also creates motivational online content and is passionate about staying in shape. She shares her incomplete injury abilities in her videos such as walking, riding a tricycle and walking down stairs.

A singer as well, Vahen sings for her ministry, spreading positive energy with her melodic voice. No matter how you encounter Vahen’s spirit, she has the ability to lift you up. The world could always use a few more Vahen Kings. She is truly an original.

— VahenKing.com
— Vahen King on IG