PHOENIX — Instead of complaining about it every day, former Marcos De Niza kicker Krysten Muir said, "Why don't I do something about it?"
Muir is referencing the rollover collision she was involved in, back in January of 2021. Before her life changed forever, she had made monumental history on the football field.
In fact, Muir became the first female to score a point in an AIA state championship game with Marcos de Niza's varsity football team back in 2015.
Although that car crash left her partially paralyzed from the waist down.
"While the car was going out of control, I was closing and opening my eyes because I was waiting for it to be done," Muir said.
Muir underwent major surgery for a spinal cord injury, and now has five vertebrae fused together by rods. After the procedure, doctors told Muir she had a 50 percent chance she would walk again.
That was more than enough for Muir to believe she would eventually be back on her feet.
"And I asked the doctor, 'what are we doing from here,'" Muir said. "I think he was kind of taken aback because he told me twice and I was like yes, I heard you. Let's keep it going."
So she did exactly that just days after her surgery. Joined by her trainer, MOVE Performance owner Chad Dunn, she continued to make steady progress in the gym until bit by bit she started to walk more and more.
"I don't call them exercises, I call them challenges," Dunn said. "That's the whole thing about her recovery, is keeping her positive, being able to do this daily."
It's a set of events that would have most people ask themselves, why me? But for Muir, she has only learned more about herself and her strength throughout this process.
"I've learned that it is kind of endless and that I am stronger than I think," Muir said. "I know it's going to be hard but I tell myself I can definitely get back out there."
Dunn has been helping Muir achieve the impossible each day, each challenge at a time.
"We're trying to defy all these odds of not just making limitations on yourself," Dunn said. "Because if you do that, you're working inside the box."
The long road to recovery is never easy. But Muir has learned small progress is still progress and she should never discount how far she has come since that accident.
"So I try and just reflect I wasn't able to move my leg and now I'm moving my leg," Muir said." I said I wanted to get up and walking, now I am up and walking. I can't just sit here and mope all day."
After a year of rehab and since the car crash, Muir still had a goal to kick another ball through the uprights.
She did exactly that, on the same football field where her career began. In late January 2022, Muir laced up her cleats in front of close family and friends and kicked the ball through the uprights after several attempts.
A feat showing anything is possible.
“It was kind of like a slap to the accident,” Muir said looking back on the moment when the ball went through the uprights.
Muir's life may never be the same, but through these countless challenges, she developed a new perspective on life.
"Start a list of what you're grateful for and thankful for," Muir said. "Then from there, build off that. After 10 minutes of writing, step back and look at that list and how many things are on there and how many more things can be added."
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