Who Are You When Your Body Changes?

What happens when the body you’ve spent decades training suddenly doesn’t work the way it did before? Rachel Blogg sits down with IFBB Pro wheelchair bodybuilder Sharla Peterson to talk about the catastrophic spinal cord injury that left her paralyzed from the waist down and forced her to confront a life she never expected.

Sharla shares what happened when her L1 vertebrae burst during a squat, the uncertainty that followed, and the moment she realized her wheelchair might be a permanent part of her life. She opens up about finding purpose again through adaptive bodybuilding, eventually returning to the stage and earning her IFBB Pro card. Rachel and Sharla also explore athlete identity, independence, accepting a new reality, finding progress without perfection, and learning that rebuilding your life doesn’t always mean becoming the person you were before. Sometimes it means discovering what you’re capable of now.

Connect with Sharla:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ifbbpro_fit_chick_onwheelz/?hl=en

Stay connected with Rachel:
LinkedIn, Youtube, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok

ℹ️ The podcast content is intended for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered a substitute for professional medical or mental health advice.