Michelle Mahoney’s full circle journey
When asked what her life motto is, Michelle Mahoney doesn’t hesitate. “I can do anything; it just might take me a little longer. I am unstoppable,” she replies.
Michelle was born with a lust for life, a love for high-adrenaline activities and a condition called arthrogryposis, a term that describes a variety of conditions involving multiple joint contractures, or stiffness. (A contracture means that the joint has a limited range of motion.)
We caught up with her en route to a training camp in Florida, where she’s becoming certified as an adaptive waterski coach for professional para-athletes.
“I have limited mobility in my arms, hands and knees, and was born with clubbed feet and a dislocated hip. The doctors told my parents I would probably never walk,” says Michelle, of Halifax. But her love of downhill and water skiing, surfing and horseback riding tell a different story. Whenever she partakes in a thrilling adventure, she leaves feeling invigorated and powerful. Michelle believes that with the right tools in place, anything is possible.
As proof, she shares some key moments from her personal highlight reel. “When I was in Cuba, I went on a zodiac ride that had a propellor on the back, and I flew up in the sky. And I’ve rappelled four times with DropZone, an annual 23-storey rappelling fundraiser for Easter Seals Nova Scotia.” Michelle has raised over $12,000 for Easter Seals Nova Scotia’s Camp Tidnish. “Sometimes,” she says, “I choose to do these things because some people might believe I can’t.”
Michelle, a receptionist & career development office assistant at the Dalhousie University Schulich School of Law, credits her mother for building her confidence from a young age. “I always say I am who I am because of her; she says I am who I am because she let me go.” As a child, Michelle wanted to be involved in the same activities as other kids. Little did she know that her mom would be sitting on the sidelines worried for her safety. Michelle’s advice for parents of kids with disabilities, “Be that mom! Be worried! But let a kid be a kid and be involved in anything they want. Your child will actually teach you that it is ok.”
Another positive influence in Michelle’s formative years was attending Easter Seals Nova Scotia’s Camp Tidnish, a barrier-free, fully accessible summer camp for Nova Scotians of all ages with physical and intellectual disabilities. Michelle spent every summer there. “Growing up at Camp Tidnish you learn that you can do anything. Nobody is left out because everything is adapted to the needs of the campers with disabilities.” The camp became a big part of life for Michelle’s whole family. Her sisters worked there, and her mom spent so much time there that she was adopted by many campers as ‘camp mom.’
Though Michelle has a strong support system in place and an unstoppable outlook, she is clear about how living with a disability affects her life every day. “I get up at 5 a.m. to allow myself the time needed to get ready to go to work. I leave for work at 7 a.m. I have a lot of patience. However, I tell people, ‘This is my normal. This is all I have ever known.’”
Michelle’s mom advocated for her growing up and, as she got older, Michelle took on that role for herself. Michelle says, “It hasn’t always been rosy times. I have been bullied and teased. But with great support from family and friends, I choose to be me and to rise above.”
After graduating from St. Francis Xavier University with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, it took Michelle a while to find work. She moved to Halifax, wanting to build a life and career for herself just as her peers were doing. “It was really hard in the beginning just trying to gain meaningful employment.” Unable to find a paying job for two and a half years, Michelle dedicated herself to volunteering at the information desk at the IWK Health Centre, which, she says, gave her life a purpose.
Her talent and hard work were noticed. Eventually she was offered a position at Dalhousie University, where she has worked for the last 23 years in six different departments. “Sometimes it’s hard for able-bodied people to understand – or want to understand – what it is like to live with a disability. I believe anyone can do anything they want; they just might need a little help to get there.”
Michelle is a strong advocate for inclusion and encourages everyone to practise this and teach kids to do the same. “To be included makes a person with a disability feel valued.” She says, “Be that person to go out of the way to make someone with a disability feel welcome. Offer to assist if you see someone struggling and be kind about it. Some of us just might be different, but we all have the same needs and wants as everyone else.”
Michelle sits on the Board of Directors of both Easter Seals Nova Scotia and Easter Seals Canada. “I have come full circle by going to camp as a kid and now as an adult giving back to this great organization – how cool is that?”
In 2021, Michelle completed the Rick Hansen Foundation Accessibility Certification. This national certification qualifies Michelle to rate buildings for accessibility. “I am very proud to be living in a province that has made a commitment to be accessible by 2030 and I will continue to welcome any opportunity to support that work to meet this goal.”
We look forward to seeing Nova Scotia flourish as an accessible province under Michelle’s leadership and share in her vision that Nova Scotia will be a place that invites everyone in.
Michelle leaves us with a powerful statement and reminder. “People with disabilities are just people. They might look different, use a wheelchair or crutches, but that is their way of getting around and their support to function in the world. People with disabilities do not come with a book of instructions; you figure it out as you go!”