The next time Nicole Verhulst steps onto a college tennis court, she will be a Cornerstone University captain.
Just two years ago, she wondered if she was good enough to play college tennis.
But 11 years ago, Verhulst wondered if she would ever walk again.
At age 8, she lost half of each of her feet in an accident involving a riding lawn mower.
“I never could have imagined I would be a college tennis player,” Verhulst said. “I have overcome this and not let it stop me.”
And it took years to overcome.
It started the day of the accident on May 31, 2007.
“I was 8 years old. I was playing out front and I went to go ask my mom a question — she was mowing the lawn (on a riding mower) — and she had headsets on and I ran over to ask her a question and right as she was backing up, the grass was wet and I slipped and fell. She didn’t know I was there and backed up over me,” Verhulst said. “It was a freak accident.” Read more