Arizona Paralympic athlete to be featured in ESPN’s ‘Body Issue’

PHOENIX — Paralympic athlete and Arizona State University graduate Allysa Seely is not only headed to Rio de Janeiro in September but will also be featured in ESPN’s 2016 “Body Issue.”

Seely began making headlines earlier this year when she qualified to be one of 27 athletes selected to represent the U.S. in the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.

Seely will be featured as an Arizona Disabled Sports ambassador.

After running her first marathon in 2009, Seely began experiencing neurological problems resulting in the amputation of her left foot.

She was later diagnosed with a Chiari 2 malformation, basilar invagination and Ehlers Danlos Syndrome — all are typically diagnosed in toddlers, not collegiate athletes.

“Nothing that I went through is going to stop me,” Seely said. “Having the opportunity to come back and race at an elite level has been something out of my wildest dreams.”

Seely is one nine women and 10 men that will be featured in this year’s “Body Issue.”

The Arizona athlete will be featured among other prominent athletes such as Miami Heat shooting guard Dwayne Wade and Houston Texans defensive lineman Vince Wilfork.

The magazine will be available for purchase online starting July 6 and on newsstands July 8.

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