Amberely Snyder is a name that is probably unfamiliar to most people –– unless you are a big rodeo fan. She is one of the most inspiring stories in all of sports, as well as to people with handicaps. Amberely grew up in Southern California, where her father played for the Los Angeles Dodgers. She started riding horses at the age of three and quickly grew a passion for horse riding. Amberely started competing in various rodeo events, such as barrel racing, and showed that she could compete at a national level.
Barrel racing seems as easy as a slow day at the ranch; all the rider has to do is complete a cloverleaf pattern around a bunch of barrels. However, it is much more difficult than it sounds and requires a large amount of athleticism, dexterity, and skill. Amberely had shown great promise in not only barrel racing, but in pole bending and breakway roping as well.
Tragically, this up and coming rodeo star lost her ability to use her legs on January 10th, 2010. She was driving to the National Western Stock Show when she glanced down at her map and ended up swerving off of the road. Her truck rolled seven times and she was thrown from the car. Her body rammed into a fence post which crushed her T-12 vertebrae. After 5 hours of emergency surgery doctors told her she would never be able to walk again.
Incredibly, with a lot of hard work and dedication Amberely got back on the horse just four months after the accident. You can catch Amberely nearly every Wednesday posting her #WheelChairWednesdays videos. They are awe-inspiring videos of Amberely performing everyday tasks that may seem impossible to most people with handicaps.
One of the most inspiring moments of Amberely’s career was when she received a fan exemption to compete in the 2015 American Rodeo at AT&T Stadium. She competed in barrel racing in front of 40,000 awe-struck fans. She only finished 0.6 seconds behind the eventual winner of the event.
Amberely is now retired from competing in the rodeo. She spends a lot of time inspiring other people all around the country and world. As a motivational speaker, she tells her incredible story in hopes that other people will be able to overcome their personal challenges.
BioXcellerator invited Amberely down to Colombia to receive stem cell treatment on her lower back. Currently, Amberely has a T11-T12 spinal injury, which binds her to a wheelchair. However, Amberely can feel to her knees and does have movement in a couple of places. (I took this information from an Instagram video she made, so it should be okay to use)
BioXcellerator patients who have received similar stem cell treatments have made progress from where they were currently at. There have been no documented cases of a patient regaining the ability to walk on their own, but Amberely hopes that she can make substantial progress with her condition.
Keep a lookout for Amberely’s speaking engagements wherever she is performing as a speaker. To learn more about Amberely, visit her website at http://www.amberleysnyder.org/. To learn more about BioXcellerator’s services, visit https://www.bioxcellerator.com/.
