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Gwenyth: We're inspired by women who have restarted their lives
using health and fitness.
We hope you are, too.
(lively music)
Gwenyth: I'm Gwenyth Paltrow.
Tracy: And I'm Tracy Anderson.
Gwenyth: This is The Restart Project.
(calm music)
On the outside, Tara's story is about restarting her life
after a traumatic physical injury,
but the truth is the hardest part was overcoming
the emotional injury.
Tara: I was your typical 22 year old girl.
I hung out with my friends and went to parties.
I was like Miss Social Butterfly and I had a great time. (laughs)
Gwenyth: I was wondering if you could tell me
what happened that day.
Tara: I will try without crying.
Gwenyth: Okay.
Tara: I was in a fender bender on the freeway
and I got out of my car and usual stuff.
You assess damage, you talk to the other person.
Everything was fine, no one was injured,
and then I was hit by a passing car.
I don't remember it.
I don't have any recollection of it.
I woke up and was told the news.
The car was going 72 miles an hour.
He hit me head-on, so my legs were crushed.
My head went into his windshield
and I landed two lanes over in the freeway on my back.
From the impact of my head going into the windshield,
my head was severed from my spine, C1 to C3 was severed
and they call it an internal decapitation,
but my left leg was the first thing to be taken care of,
because I was losing so much blood.
It was a life or death matter, like amputate it or she's going to die.
Cleaned me up, amputated my left leg,
put a titanium rod in my right leg as my shinbone,
and they did a 15 hour surgery on my neck.
The first thing I remember was being really confused.
I remember my dad was with me and I could feel his fear.
He was like, "Tara, you look really pretty,"
and I could hear it in his voice that he was really sad.
He walks me through everything, "You were in an accident,
"everything's going to be okay."
My mom couldn't even be around me without crying.
She had a really hard time.
Everything was kind of unknown.
With my neck injury, they said it could've caused nerve damage
in my limbs, arms, fingers.
That would all have to come with time.
They didn't know.
They did think I would walk again.
They weren't sure if I would be able to run or be active,
but they knew I'd be able to wear a prosthetic.
Gwenyth: How old were you at the time?
Tara: I was 23.
Gwenyth: To be that young of a woman
and to have to face that kind of physical change.
Tara: Yeah.
Gwenyth: Were you worried about the rest of your life,
how it might be changed?
Tara: I was, yes.
My main thought was that no one would love me
and that I wasn't sexy.
I was in the hospital for four weeks
and then I was in a rehab hospital for two weeks.
You're kind of numb, at that point.
You're still highly medicated, it's still kind of a blur.
I'd say the emotions really started to kick in when I went home.
I remember days of just crying uncontrollably,
because everything's setting in, the medicine's wearing off,
and you're a different person.
A few weeks after being home,
the Challenged Athletes Foundation sent over
one of their athletes, JP.
I was still in a wheelchair, no prosthetic, cast on my right leg,
just kind of a mess, and here comes JP walking in,
carrying his running leg, wearing shorts, super fit,
athletic, handsome man and he's like, "Hey.
"I'm JP, how are you doing?
"I've totally been where you're at.
"Let's talk about it."
I'm like, "What are you up to?
"What did you do today?" and he's like,
"I just ran ten miles."
I'm like, "You just ran ten miles?
"Okay."
I never ran before my accident.
I always admired runners, but I never pushed myself to do it.
I started very slowly on the treadmill and then on the driveway.
I eventually signed up for a 5K and finished it
and that was it, I was hooked.
(uplifting music)
Since my first 5K, I've accomplished many, many half marathons,
a few triathlons, a marathon.
I've climbed Kilimanjaro, so yeah, (laughs) I proved myself.
(music continues)
Girl in Blue: I used to play softball before I had cancer.
Tara: Okay.
I've had the opportunity to mentor other people
and it's been really special, because I've been there
and I can relate to them and guide them
and just let them know that it's going to be okay.
It sounds very tragic, but good things have come of it
and I've accomplished things that I probably wouldn't have
before the accident.
Gwenyth: So, would you go back and change it?
Tara: No.
I wouldn't.
Gwenyth: Wow.
Tara: I've learned that it doesn't matter if anyone loves me,
if I love myself.
Gwenyth: That is really true, but you're drop dead gorgeous.
Tara: Thank you.
Gwenyth: God, I can't run a freaking marathon.
Tara: (laughs) Yes you could.
Gwenyth: No, I could not.
(electric sound)