SRU’s Dunn recognized for courageous battle
SLIPPERY ROCK — From inner-drive producing pole vault success to intensive care to an Inspiration award.
It was been a crazy road 2020 SRU graduate Roxanne Dunn has been on. That road resulted in her earning the NCAA’s Inspiration Award during the recent NCAA Convention Welcome and Awards Presentation in Phoenix, Ariz.
A three-time Ohio high school pole vaulting champion at Garaway, Dunn came to The Rock and continued to excel at the sport. At the same time, she was studying to get her teaching degree in special education. She had even volunteered at the Akron Rotary Camp, working with children with developmental and physical disabilities.
It was there she became familiar with lifts and transfers for people in wheelchairs.
“Roxanne is an incredible person,” SRU track and field coach Bill Jordan said. “She’s always helped kids — she used to babysit my kids — and she developed into one of the top pole vaulters in our conference and in the country.”
Less than a year after college graduation, Dunn’s life changed.
On March 21 of 2021, she was riding in a car with a driver who fell asleep at the wheel. The car hit a tree stump and slid down an embankment in Western Pa. Dunn was asleep at the time of the crash and was knocked unconscious.
“I remember wanting to drive before we got in the car,” Dunn said. “We didn’t make that choice. When I woke up ... I knew it was bad.”
First responders had to cut her out of the car and Dunn was flown immediately to a Pittsburgh hospital. She couldn’t feel her legs at the time.
Her injuries included severed intestines, a broken orbital socket and incomplete tear of her spinal cord. She was paralyzed from the waist down. She spent 53 days in the hospital, including intensive care, along with neurological and inpatient rehabilitation units.
At the time of her accident, Dunn had received her license to teach general education and special education in Pennsylvania. While recovering, she earned a certificate to do the same in Ohio.
In the hospital during COVID-19 restrictions, Dunn used social media to detail her recovery. She generated 1.9 million likes on TikTok.
“That was good because I was able to connect with a lot of people in wheelchairs, share past experiences and what may be lying ahead,” she said. “There’s a great support system there.”
Once out of the hospital, Dunn’s first teaching experience in the classroom was as a substitute. She sat in a wheelchair, teaching second-graders — on the two-year anniversary of her accident.
“I knew I was going to get my life back again,” she said. “Obviously, not the way I wanted, but you keep going. The only other choice was to give up on life. That’s not even an option, really.”
Dunn is now a special needs teacher, working with second-through-fourth graders in a public school. She can walk for very short stretches with use of a walker.
She admitting to feeling a bit strange accepting the Inspiration ward in front of 2,000 people. The award is for someone who used perseverance, dedication and determination to overcome a life-altering situation and become role models, giving hope and inspiration to others.
“It felt so humbling,” Dunn said. “I felt I was being recognized for just living my life. I still have a lot of work ahead. I want to be able to walk more. I want to teach others. Having gone through an education of dealing with helping others in and out of wheelchairs wound up helping me deal with my own situation.”
Jordan, SRU Director of Athletic Communications Jon Holtz and athletic director Roberta Page accompanied Dunn and her family to Phoenix.
“It was a remarkable presentation,” Holtz said. “She was treated like a rock star there. People were coming over, wanting to meet her, talk to her ... She has that type pf personality.
“The fact she’s teaching special needs children while continuing her recovery as a special needs patient speaks volumes for who she is.”
Jordan agreed.
“Roxanne was one of the most dedicated, hardest working athletes I’ve ever been around,” the coach said. “The pole vaulting ability, gymnastics background she had, to have all of that taken away from an athlete through a horrifying accident can be devastating.
“From Day One, she never stopped fighting back. And the kids she’s helped along the way ... No one deserves this award more than she does.”
For Roxanne Dunn, it’s all about getting back to life.
“I’ve got a great support system with parents and family,” Dunn said. “Honestly, I’m blessed. I still want to start a family someday, have children, teach, my goals and plans in life haven’t changed. I’ll just be sitting down a lot more than standing up.“
