Former Shriners Children’s Patient Alexis Shifflett Chases Three-Peat at Paralympics
Former Shriners Children’s Twin Cities patient Alexis Shifflett’s story is about playing so hard, she broke her prosthetics again and again.
The nonprofit healthcare system encouraged Shifflett to be active while growing up, no matter what wear and tear it put on her prosthetics. Shifflett had no problem excelling at the sports she played, and now she is a two-time Paralympic gold medalist on the United States sitting volleyball team. This summer, she’s aiming for her third-straight gold at the Paris Games.
Shifflett was born with fibular hemimelia and had a below-the-knee amputation when she was just 9 months old before being introduced to Shriners Children’s a couple of years after she was born, returning for visits until she was 20. Shifflett remembers her care team educating her on how her leg interacted with her prosthetic and how to advocate for herself when she knew something was wrong or needed to be fixed. She also will never forget the impact her Shriners Children’s prosthetist Becky Born had on her while growing up.
“I felt bad because I was breaking a prosthetic foot probably every six months because I used them to the absolute limit,” Shifflett said. “Shriners Children’s would always get me anything I needed and any new type of prosthetic I wanted to try. They were all about giving me the right resources and the best chance to succeed."
Shriners Children’s always made me feel like I could do anything I wanted to do in life, and that’s a mindset I’ve carried with me.
"Now, I miss Shriners Children’s so much, and honestly leaving was the hardest thing. Becky really cared about going through those processes with me," Shifflett said. "As an adult, it feels like sometimes the clinics I go to now are more likely to say, ‘This is just what life is as a disabled person.’ I don’t like that mindset about being disabled. Shriners Children’s always made me feel like I could do anything I wanted to do in life, and that’s a mindset I’ve carried with me.”
Shifflett recently traveled to France for the Super 6 volleyball tournament, where the U.S. battled the top teams in the world ahead of the Paralympics. The U.S. defeated China both in pool play and in the finals to win the tournament, marking two marquee wins over one of their biggest rivals ahead of the big stage in Paris.
“This tournament showed us that a three-peat really is possible,” Shifflett said. “It was the first time we ever beat China in both pool play and the finals. I’m so excited for these Paralympics because in 2021 it was so quick and over with. With COVID we had to leave early after winning, and there were no families or friends. I’m looking forward to the opportunity of having family and friends there this year.”
Shifflett will take the court in Paris with another former Shriners Children’s patient, Bethany Zummo. Zummo has been a standout libero for the U.S. over the past two Paralympics, and Shifflett said having another Shriners Children’s patient who has experienced the same things in life has been immensely helpful. Shifflett and Zummo could walk away with a third-consecutive gold medal after Paris, which would be a tremendous accomplishment for the two stars.
