competitive swimmer at the time, Schaikewitz became paralyzed from the waist down "over the course of a half-day"[3] after an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) ruptured in her spinal cord when she was 15.[4][5] She went on to graduate with a degree from the University of Florida and then moved to Los Angeles where she developed a career in graphic design and branding.[6][7] In 2012, she decided to return to the sport of competitive swimming after 17 years, as documented in Season 1 of the show Push Girls.[8]
