CSUS student strives for ‘next best thing’
October 9, 2012
Sacramento State kinesiology senior Carly Davis has a hard time giving herself credit where credit is due, especially when it comes to her many accomplishments at 22 years old. “I’m really bad at giving myself credit,” said Davis. “I’m bad at taking a moment to pat myself on the back.”
The statement wouldn’t be what you would expect to hear from someone like Davis, who was born with a congenital amputation – without a right arm.
“My upper arm bones fused together and the rest of my arm wasn’t formed as a result,” Davis said.
Her disability never stopped her from being as athletic as she wanted to be. Soccer, softball, basketball and swimming were the sports she played growing up.
Although she has played numerous sports in her lifetime, none came without a challenge, Davis said.
“(Basketball) was the greatest challenge because it’s such a two-handed sport,” Davis said. “I started playing in fourth grade and I would go home after practice and spend literally two, three hours in my backyard or my front yard just doing the drills and figuring them out.”
Matthew Miscisin, Davis’ boss at Tricks Gymnastics, said Davis is admirable because she works persistently to do everything she sets her mind to and doesn’t allow her disability to get in the way.
“Everyone deals with a challenge in their lives and she’s a good example of how a person doesn’t have to view (his or her) challenges as limitations,” Miscisin said. “I’ve admired that about her because she’s not an excuse-type of person. She takes on her own responsibilities and I’ve run into people who view their conditions as an inability to take care of themselves.”
Davis said she has accomplished a lot in her life, but she keeps looking forward to her next goal.
Davis said one of her major achievements was when she carried the torch for the 2003 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City, Utah. To most people, running the Olympic torch would be a huge deal, but to Davis it was just another thing she did.
“I ran the Olympic torch (and) it was pretty awesome,” Davis said. “I was 14 and I was like ‘Oh OK!’”
A swim instructor for Trick’s Gymnastics, Davis said she felt anxious and nervous during her lifeguard training because of how people would treat her once they found out she wore a prosthetic.
“A lot of times (with) the limitations others put on me, I don’t usually tell people ‘Oh, by the way, I have a prosthetic.’ I let them figure it out. I don’t make a point of it,” Davis said. “I was hesitant because I was like ‘What are they going to let me do,’ or they could be like ‘Oh you can’t do this’ because I know I can do anything. Just give me time and let me figure it out.”
Miscisin said Davis surpassed his expectations as a swim instructor even though he did not know she wore a prosthetic arm during her first interview at Tricks Gymnastics.
“In the second interview, I did notice she had an artificial hand and I made it clear that the job had certain expectations and that she’s applying for the job, so I’m assuming she can do all the required things and she has,” Miscisin said. “That’s the real bottom line. Every circumstance has certain requirements and you have to accomplish those things to do it safely and ensure the safety of the students. And she met those requirements.”
Davis said she stays positive by joking around with friends by referring to one of her prostheses as a “Barbie arm” or her joke about her “iLimb.” Davis even joked around that the people who make her prosthetics are jokingly trying to talk her into putting an iPod dock into her arm where she could just connect her headphones into her arm and go for a run.
“You may have an iPod or an iPhone, but I got an iLimb,” Davis said.
Davis said she has learned having a disability puts your life in perspective.
“I feel like people say I don’t know how you do stuff all the time and then when I see someone with even greater challenges than me I can put myself in perspective and put my life in perspective,” Davis said.
Camille Anglo can be reached at [email protected]
Beth Jones can be reached at [email protected]