Good as Gold – Annie's Story

Standing on the podium in Tokyo with her teammates, the gravity of the moment finally washed over her.

“That’s when it really sunk it that we had won, and that I had won my first gold medal,” said Annie. “And I knew that was something that would stay with me forever.”

Annie’s journey to the podium in sitting volleyball at the 2020 Paralympics did not happen by chance, nor did it come without challenges, some of which came before she was even born.

Annie’s mom, Linda, was 20 weeks pregnant when she learned at an ultrasound appointment that her unborn daughter had fibular hemimelia, a condition where part or all of the fibula (calf bone) is missing. After Annie was born, the family met with a local doctor and then a second doctor in Seattle before deciding that amputation was the best path forward.

When she was 9 months old, Annie’s right leg was amputated below the knee. She received her first prosthetic when she was 11 months old, and started walking shortly after.

“Someone once told me that the only disability Annie would ever have was the one we would give her,” Linda said. “I always remembered that.”

The product of an athletic family, Annie started becoming very active in sports, beginning with T-ball when she was in pre-K, then basketball and eventually soccer, where she was the star player on her team all through elementary school.

By age 7, Annie was playing multiple sports and needed prosthetics that could keep up with her athletic demands. From a connection they had made through the Challenged Athletes Foundation, the family was first introduced to Shriners Children’s Portland, and specifically their in-house Pediatric Orthotic and Prosthetic Services (POPS) department. It was here that Annie first met the POPS manager, Todd DeWees, MHA, CPO.

“I basically grew up with Todd,” Annie said. “He was such a huge part of my childhood, and he really helped me grow and develop as an athlete.”

Todd helped Annie find a variety of prosthetics tailored to her sports. She had a leg that worked best for softball, another for soccer. He fitted her with her first running blade when she was 10, and worked with the in-house motion analysis center to monitor and correct any gait issues that arose.

As she continued to grow, Annie required two surgeries, both performed at Shriners Children’s Portland. She had the first one when she was in fourth grade, to straighten her knee and to set the direction of the bone as she continued to grow. She spent several months on crutches, working with the in-house therapy services department to ensure the leg was growing straight. After a year, Annie underwent a second surgery to remove the plates.

“A lot of kids with disabilities can be traumatized,” Annie said. “But for me, going to Shriners Children’s took that away. It exposed me to other people that looked like me, and introduced me to communities of people I otherwise wouldn’t have met.”