Courtney's Story.

“The reason I wouldn’t change having CP is because I am me because I have CP. My life would be completely different if I didn’t have CP and I don’t want my life to be different. I like the person I am and that is because of how I was raised and because I have Cerebral Palsy.”

Red hair, a smile and a touch of sarcasm. That is Courtney McConville. Even as she faced one of her toughest surgeries yet this summer, she never stopped finding a way to have fun with it. Whether that was jokingly giving her therapists a hard time or enjoying endless Netflix marathons in the hospital, this summer Courtney tackled surgery, therapy and the hospital with a smile like she’s done all her life.

Courtney lives with Diplegic Cerebral Palsy (CP) and has experienced her fair share of physical difficulties and medical challenges, including nine surgeries.

“Growing up with CP wasn’t easy at all, I think one of the hardest parts was trying to keep up with my friends and family. I would have to run to keep up with them when they were just walking a normal pace. My friends and family would always joke about how they could hear me coming. [One of my] teachers joked that I could never be a spy because my feet were so loud when I walked.” she said, reflecting on how CP made growing up hard but she would always join her family and those closest to her in their humorous outlook because that’s just her personality.

“Yeah, [making jokes does help me cope with CP sometimes]. I think I am very sarcastic and making jokes is just part of my personality. But also, [I am like that] so people see that part of [my personality] and not just [the fact that I have CP]." She continued, “I also joke about my height, so it’s just my personality.”

Courtney has let that side of her personality shine through even when faced with the hurdles of CP such as constant physical and occupational therapy. She said joking with her therapists is one her most favorite things to do.

“I hated and still hate PT. When I was younger and still now, I always give the therapist a hard time. It makes it fun because most of the time they don’t know what to say. My usual line is: ‘You are trying to kill me.’ Some of them like when I make those comments and they make comments back like: ‘You can’t die doing bridges.’ Some of them just get really annoyed and give me a look, which makes it more fun for me.”

Though she may never be a spy and still has to go through constant therapy sessions, Courtney has never let CP slow her down. She plays Sled Hockey and skis, and she says those are aspects that make life with CP really great.

“[Through] playing Sled Hockey and skiing with an adaptive program, I have met so many people that have changed my life for the better. These people have showed me that everyone has their challenges but it’s the way you carry yourself when these challenges happen [that matters] … [I wouldn’t have met] these people if I didn’t have CP. There are many positive things about living with CP.”

Courtney explained how Sled Hockey is just like regular hockey. “[It] is just like regular hockey but you have two sticks instead of one and you sit in a sled that looks kind of like a bucket. The two sticks have spikes on the bottom of them to dig into the ice. The top of the stick is just like a regular hockey stick. On the bottom of the sled, there are blades so you can glide against the ice. The blades under the sled are like the blades on the bottom of hockey skates. When I played this sport, I didn’t feel like the girl with CP, I felt I the girl that was playing with and against a bunch of men - I was the only girl on my team.”

“My ski instructor Tony, is amazing. He had a birth defect so he has three fingers on one hand and is an amputee on [one of his legs]. He taught me everything, between skiing and [many] life lessons that I will take with me forever. He has been with me when I skied side to side down a black diamond and when I totally wiped out. When I totally wiped out and couldn’t get back up he would lift me up. He taught me that life may not be easy and that there will be challenges along the way, but you can do it. Seeing him doing what he loves with the setbacks he has, he showed me that I can do anything.”

Sled Hockey and skiing became important outlets for Courtney. When she was growing up, she explained that it was hard socially because she couldn’t keep up with her friends and couldn’t play the sports they were playing. But she found hockey and skiing and it is easy to see that those two sports completely changed her life in the best ways possible. Courtney went on to explain that life in college is a little easier for her socially than it was in high school.

“Now in college, it’s easier because it’s not a popularity contest. It’s about having friends who accept you and understand you may not be able to do things they can.”

Courtney attends college at The College of New Jersey, majoring in Web Design.

“My biggest dream is to live an apartment in a city like D.C., Philadelphia or LA with a yellow lab and to work in the Web Design field hopefully for the company Apple. I [also] hope to be traveling around the world, public speaking about my journey.”

Courtney’s family has always been behind her 100%. She expressed that her mom is her biggest supporter and best friend.

“My biggest supporter is my mom. She has been with me through the good, bad and the ugly. She has been with me through every surgery sleeping on uncomfortable pull out beds. She has seen me at my highest, like getting accepted into college. She is my mom but also my best friend - I can tell her anything and she will understand. She is one of the strongest people I know. She does everything for others and [expects nothing] in return. She’s amazing and I am so proud to call her my mom.”

When it comes down to it, Courtney says CP has shaped who she is.

“CP shaped who I am because I understand what it is like to be different than the typical person. I understand that if you are different, it doesn’t mean that you won’t be successful. It probably means you are going to be more successful because you think differently than the normal person. But really, [there is no such thing] as a normal person.”

And if she could, Courtney would not change having CP.

“The reason I wouldn’t change having CP is because I am me because I have CP. My life would be completely different if I didn’t have CP and I don’t want my life to be different. I like the person I am and that is because of how I was raised and because I have Cerebral Palsy.”

Courtney is Courtney because of what she has been through.

Courtney is a vibrant, tough, inspiring girl who will not let her physical limitations stop her from living out her dreams.