Ivonne, In Her Own Words

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Ivonne Mosquera-schmidt: If I get a thought in my head, that is what I work towards. I never once thought that I shouldn't be doing that because I couldn't see.

Narrator: Ivonne Mosquera-Schmidt exemplifies the power of motivation. At one year old, Ivonne was diagnosed with retinal cancer. By age two, she'd had both eyes removed. But Ivonne didn't let that stop her.

Ivonne Mosquera-schmidt: My parents raised me as if I were sighted, and I had two older sisters who were sighted. They taught me anything a sighted child would learn. I first became interested in physical activity at an early age. I can just recall being all over the slides, the monkey bars, and climbing up rocks. I just had a great, rich life.

Narrator: Ivonne worked hard at school, then went on to study mathematics and biology at Stanford. Powerful, intrinsic motivators kept pushing her ahead.

Ivonne Mosquera-schmidt: My internal motivations really stemmed from a deep desire to always be challenging myself to experiencing and exploring the world.

Narrator: Ivonne found her true passion in an organization that supports visually impaired runners by pairing them with sighted partners. Ivonne's new teammates provided extrinsic motivation.

Ivonne Mosquera-schmidt: They would say, if you run further today, we will go for hot chocolate. They also knew that I was a chocaholic, so you're coming at me with something that's extremely appealing.

Narrator: With the help of family, friends, and her dedicated husband John, Ivonne gradually became an elite athlete and built an impressive resume.

Ivonne Mosquera-schmidt: Teachers and mentors always encouraged me to reach deep within myself and maximize my potential and that what really mattered was how much could I contribute and give back.

Narrator: But in 2014, as she was training for the upcoming Paralympics in Rome, Ivonne was diagnosed with a rare form of bladder cancer. Ivonne had fought retinal cancer as a child and skin cancer as an adult. The new diagnosis triggered a flood of emotions.

Ivonne Mosquera-schmidt: The diagnosis came at the worst time possible. We had to face the reality of potential death in the near future. But I knew that I had all of my family and close friends as a great network of support. In the end, we do a sport because we love it. And so love tends to be, as always in my mind, more powerful than fear.

Narrator: Today, Ivonne feels confident and healthy. She even hopes to establish a holistic health center for under served communities and complete an Ironman event.

Ivonne Mosquera-schmidt: The sky's the limit essentially.

Narrator: Ivonne also has a new running partner, a specially trained guide dog named Ziggy.

Ivonne Mosquera-schmidt: Working with Ziggy has definitely been emotionally charged. It's been exciting, and at the same time, it's been a bit nerve wracking putting a lot of trust in a dog. It's a partnership for sure.

I've achieved a lot of the things I've hoped to achieve. It's a chance to really just enjoy some of that knowledge and experience and be able to put it to work towards the benefit of others. I am most grateful for just the life that I've been given. The greatest lesson I've learned has been to take everything that comes your way with a sense of gratitude, appreciation, and a sense of love.