Woman Spent 17 Years on a Wheelchair After a Car Crash, Lost 300 lbs and Is a Trainer

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After a tragic car accident, a woman from North Texas became wheelchair-bound for 17 years and gained 455 pounds (approx. 206 kg) over time. However, everything changed when she commenced an incredible weight loss journey. With hard work and determination, she was not only able to shed those extra pounds but also started to walk, and now is a certified personal trainer helping others.

In 1999, Vicky Carter’s life was turned upside down when she was hit by a drunk driver. “I crushed everything from my waist down. I broke both my femurs. My left leg was severed off in the wreck. I had multiple complex fractures in my right leg,” Carter said, per NBCDFW.

Her injuries were so severe and she had lost quite a bit of blood that even medics weren’t sure she'd survive. “The EMTs said that if there was anything that I wanted to tell my family, they would write it down for me,” Carter added.

Luckily, she survived the horrific ordeal but had to spend the following 17 years in and out of the hospital and in a wheelchair.

In 2002, Carter had gone into depression and gained a whopping 200 pounds (approx. 91 kg), as per a Facebook post by Jesse James Fit.

By 2012, she weighed an outstanding 455 pounds (approx. 206 kg). It was early that year when she was dropping her daughter for cheerleading practice at the Jesse James Fit in Flower Mound where she met the owner Jesse James Leyva. He “instantly joked with her when she would come in and constantly encouraged her to train [...] as well,” according to the gym’s blog.

Within months, Carter decided to take the gym owner up on his offer and commenced a training routine. “I was amazed and so excited for her, knowing that this could change her life if she wanted it bad enough,” Leyva explained on the blog.

As for Carter, she was grateful for the incredible support she received. “I owe that man my life. If it weren’t for that man opening up his doors to me and my family, I wouldn’t be where I am,” she told NBCDFW. “I wanted it bad enough. It was a mindset. He gave me an opportunity, so I was going to take it.”

Carter started a high-rep weight training, a new diet, and was on her way to a healthier lifestyle.

After losing about 60 pounds (approx. 27 kg), she then underwent surgery, and after years of healthy nutrition and training, she was able to walk on her own. According to Leyva, “Vicki did the most important thing when it comes to weight loss. She made a change to her mindset! She wanted a better life for herself, and nothing was going to get in her way.”

Carter said, “I worked hard from my wheelchair daily, through massive pain, crying, blood, sweat, and tears. I would do it all over 100 times because your life is worth it, my family was worth it, my kids drove me, I [sic] friends, family and my will to succeed.”

Leyva explains that Carter had to go through several surgeries, including skin removal and knee replacements, but she was able to walk after spending nearly 17 years in a wheelchair.

Through all these years, Carter lost 300 pounds (approx. 136 kg). In 2018, Carter was the recipient of the NPC Iron Warrior at the Texas Legends Championship.

Carter currently works as a barista at Starbucks and is a trainer in the same gym where she started her weight loss journey. She uses her own journey as a source of inspiration for her clients. She said, “If I can do it, you can do it! I did it from a wheelchair, so there is no excuse.”

On March 11, 2020, Carter took to Facebook to express her gratitude to her teammates. She wrote, “So thankful for all the people I work with daily. The support we show/offer up towards one another is beyond amazing. Doesn’t matter how tired we are, how busy and etc. we step up to help each other REGARDLESS. That’s FAMILY. I truly love my JESSE JAMES FIT & STARBUCKS FAMILY.”

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