SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKER - VICTORIA ARLEN
ESPN Host, Paralympic Gold Medalist, Author, and Dancing with the Stars Semi-Finalist

At the tender age of eleven, life drastically changed for Victoria Arlen. She developed two rare conditions known as Transverse Myelitis and Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis and quickly slipped into a minimally-conscious state.

For the next four years, she was "locked" inside her own body - completely aware of what was going on, but unable to move or communicate. Doctors believed there was little hope of survival and recovery. Victoria, however was not ready to give up. In 2010, she began the nearly impossible fight back to life, learning how to speak, eat, and move all over again.

Victoria has gone on to exceedingly defy the odds. She not only fully recovered but has gone on to become an accomplished motivational speaker, actress, model, and swimmer. Her swimming resume includes three silvers and a gold medal from the London 2012 Paralympic Games, as well as multiple world, American, and pan-American records.

In April 2015, Victoria made the transition from professional athlete to sportscaster and joined ESPN as one of the youngest on-air talents hired by the company, reporting and hosting for various platforms. More recently, Victoria defied the odds yet again: after spending nearly a decade in a wheelchair, paralyzed from the waist down, she was able to relearn how to walk.

Victoria's inspiring story of recovery fully embraces turning life's challenges into fuel for extraordinary accomplishments.