Gabby Blados spent 13 years of her life as a gymnast, but when she entered high school she outgrew gymnastics… literally.

Standing at 6-foot-3, her height became a disadvantage, so when her coach told her to find another sport, she picked volleyball.

After being heavily recruited throughout high school, Blados began her athletic career at Clemson. What began as a promising career soon became a devastating end to her direct involvement with athletics.

Blados’ doctors discovered nerves were wrapped around her spine and surgery left her immobile for a year. She was told she would never be playing volleyball again.

All athletes exit their respective sports at one stage in their life, but Blados never got the option to choose when would be her time to leave the court.

While this realization is a constant pain, she refused to let it define her and found passions beyond athletics during the rest of her time at Clemson.