Diana Shafer: Motivating Others Through Martial Arts

When I first learned about Diana Shafer, a 30-year-old woman from San Jose, California, I was immediately impressed.  Besides her awesome Martial Arts photos, one of the things I found really interesting was that she first discovered BPI in college.  When she was born, her mother didn’t speak English very well, due to the fact that she had emigrated from Vietnam. Diana's research on Erb's Palsy began when she was preparing for an oral presentation. She chose for the topic to be about herself so she could discuss her injury openly for the first time.

This says a lot about Diana's self-confidence. It’s not easy to talk about something, in front of your peers, that has been a lifelong struggle.  But Diana did that and succeeded.

Since then she has gotten involved in Martial Arts and has created an Instagram account and YouTube channel.  Her motivation is to help others who deal with similar struggles and inspire them to soar beyond their dreams. 

In addition to these great accomplishments, Diana is getting married this month and is a stepmother to two children.

You can find Diana on Instagram @onearmjiujitsu, subscribe to her YouTube channel, or add her on Facebook to follow her journey.

Q & A

Hi Diana!  Thanks so much for sharing your story with me.  Can you tell me when your Erb’s Palsy symptoms began and how your arm is affected?

I have had a Brachial Plexus Injury to my right arm since birth. I was injured by the doctor during delivery. My right arm has limited movement due to severed nerves. My right arm is slightly shorter and smaller than my left. I cannot raise my arm at the shoulder, but I do have the ability to raise my arm at the elbow to 90 degrees.  I do not have a strong grip in my right hand and I have minimal feeling in my hand as well. I have waiter’s tip, which is a deformity of the affected wrist. I also have Horner’s syndrome, which affects my right eye, in which it droops slightly.

Nate Gagnon: A CrossFitter with True Strength

There are certain people who will persevere through anything to become great athletes. Nathan Gagnon is one of them. 

While researching Erb's Palsy and CrossFit, I came upon Nate’s profile on the official CrossFit website.  It was clear that he had competed in the CrossFit Open and had done exceptionally well.  As a "CrossFitter" myself, I was impressed that someone with the same injury would be able to complete workouts at the prescribed weight (Rx)¹.  Soon after, I got in touch him and learned more about his life with Erb's Palsy and his experience with CrossFit as a member of Reebok CrossFit Back Bay in Boston, MA.  His story is a great one.  It has inspired me and I’m sure it will do the same for you.

You can follow Nate on Instagram @kairosnate or add him on Facebook to see more of his awesome photos and videos.

Q & A

Have you had Erb's Palsy since birth? How is your arm affected?

I have had Erb's Palsy since birth. At birth, my right arm was completely paralyzed but I eventually regained movement with limited mobility. I can't full extend my arm, have diminished strength in that arm and whole side of my upper body, and have some trouble putting my arm overhead.

Do you have full active range of motion?

I'm not entirely sure what the term "active range of motion" means, but I think so in terms of lifting my arm overhead. I'm weaker on that side, but can hold things overhead at my full extension, so the shoulder mobility is there. 

First Crossfit Competition!

Dead hang with Coach Carlos!

         This weekend I completed a two-day Crossfit competition at Crossfit Singular Box (see videos at the bottom of this post).  It was my first-ever competition and I’m really happy to have completed it!  I was overwhelmed by the support from the coaches and members of the gym.  It really is an incredible group of people.  Although we were competing, everyone cheered each other on and showed such great sportsmanship.  It was really impressive and says a lot about the atmosphere of the box.

The competition took place on Saturday and Sunday.  There were three WODs (Workouts of the Day) on Saturday and two on Sunday.  Below I have included a chart of the WODs that everyone completed and the modifications that were made for me.  The coaches did a really good job of making my exercises just as difficult for me as they were for everyone else.  I ended up in seventh place out of thirteen girls. Not so bad for a first-timer!

WOD #1: (As Many Rounds as Possible [AMRAP] 10’)

Original Workout	Modifications
10 calorie row
15 wall ball shots 16 lbs.	Used an 8 lb ball
20 second hand stand hold	Held a plank position with my knees on a box and held onto a dumbbell on the floor with my left arm to even out my arms