Central Valley women shares her journey of learning to walk again

Ana Torrea Image
Friday, September 27, 2024
Central Valley women shares her journey of learning to walk again
Seven years after a violent car accident, Ellie Skromme was able to walk down the aisle at her wedding.

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- September 13th, 2017, forever changed Ellie Skromme's life.

"I was basically living this high of graduated teenage life," said Ellie. "I had a tire blow out. The truck rolled six times, and I went through my driver-side window."

The car landed on top of Ellie, severely damaging her back along with other painful injuries.

"It gave me a spinal cord injury, which was literally the weight of the pick up on my vertebrae caused it to burst fracture," said Ellie.

Ellie was 17 years old when doctors told her she would never be able to walk again. At a young age, she needed to adjust to a new life ahead of her.

"Being told you're never going to walk again," said Elle, "as a very active girl, I rode horses and played volleyball in high school."

But that's when Ellie found SCI FIT on Instagram.

Ellie was living in South Monterey County at the time and would make the two-and-a-half-hour drive to Fresno. She told Steve Nava and Mitch Ebner, the co-owners of SCI-FIT Fresno, that her goal was to walk and stand again.

"Low bearing exercises, we do a lot of functional movement exercises, we do a lot of developmental movement patterns," said Steve Nava, the Co-Founder and COO of SCI-FIT Fresno.

The journey to get to her goal wasn't easy. Some days were harder than others.

"The physical goals of learning to walk again, I don't even know how to explain that mental battle," said Ellie.

"Standing up and experiencing them not moving is the most frustrating thing I've ever experienced."

"Strengthening her core," said Mitch Ebner, the Co-Founder of SCI FIT Fresno, "all the exercises Steve mentioned were so pivotal in getting her to the end goal five years later."

In April this year, Ellie walked through the doors of SCI FIT without help from anyone.

It was a huge milestone in her recovery.

Then, months later, on September 13, 2024, seven years after her crash, Ellie walked down the aisle, joined by her father, Mitch and Steve.

"It was so emotional and meaningful because at one point I though I would never able to walk down at my wedding,' said Ellie.

While Ellie has reached several of her goals, there is still more she wants to do and accomplish.

Ellie wants to give back to SCI FIT by helping others attend the rehabilitation center.

But she has this message for anyone going through a similar journey.

"Your brain is incredibly powerful, and when you set your mind to something, anything is achievable," said Skromme.

SCI FIT will also hold its third annual golf tournament at the Riverside Golf Course.

The money raised will help create scholarships for people who need financial help.

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