Today we’d like to introduce you to Gloria Suarez
Hi Gloria, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
My name is Gloria Suarez. I am a 41-year-old Mexican American female who was born and raised in Houston, Texas. I am a single mother to my amazing now 18-year-old daughter, Jazmin, who has been the source of my strength. I am first-generation to graduate from the University of Houston Downtown with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a minor in Sociology. I am also the Founder and Executive Director of my own 501c3 nonprofit, Bee Abled, for people with disabilities, family, friends, and caregivers. I am a huge advocate of community work. I volunteer at TIRR Memorial Hermann (where I did inpatient and outpatient therapy) as a Peer Volunteer, where I mentor other people with spinal cord injuries and discuss similar challenges and ways of overcoming them. I am an adaptive athlete living with paralysis for over 9 years. I participate in several adaptive sports such as: wheelchair soccer, wheelchair softball, boccia, air pistol, and racing.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Surgery on February 16, 2015 to remove a tumor became life-altering when I developed a spinal hematoma during the surgery that left me paralyzed from the waist down and using a wheelchair full time. I spent the next several months hospitalized and underwent intensive rehabilitation at TIRR Memorial Hermann to recover and learn to live as a paraplegic. I became severely depressed for the first three years of my injury. Living life as a wheelchair user has not been easy and has lots of challenges. In 2018, I was introduced to a group for people with disabilities and started participating in different races. I became the Director of a large nonprofit organization and ran their Houston chapter until June 30, 2022. On November 3, 2019, I completed my very first full marathon – the New York City Marathon using a handcycle. The New York City Marathon race is one of the most exclusive marathons in the world, with a rigorous selection process and limited availability, making it difficult to gain entry. I am not the fastest athlete and not worried about being the fastest. My goal is to make it across the finish line. I’ve lost count of the amount of 5K’s, 10K’s, half and full marathons I have completed. I have gotten involved in other adaptive sports.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Bee Abled?
On September 17, 2022, on the one-year anniversary of my mother’s passing, I opened my own 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization called “Bee Abled”, which embraces athletes with disabilities (AWD), as well family members, friends, caregivers, and volunteers who help and uplift our community. We support this community to achieve both mental and physical health through participation in sports and social interactions. All my life, my mother, Maria Gloria Suarez, had been my encourager and inspiration. During my recovery and rehabilitation, my mother was my rock. The name “Bee” was chosen to honor her. We affectionately called her “Bee” and “Grandma Bee”. While filing my paperwork for the nonprofit, I discovered a fun fact about the bee: Aerodynamically the bee shouldn’t be able to fly. According to all known laws of aviation, there is no way a bee should be able to fly. Its wings are too small to get its fluffy little body off the ground. The bee of course, flies. A bee does something impossible every day, just like all of us. In the face of disabilities, we can accomplish what many would think is impossible. This was a perfect fit for the nonprofit. Bee Abled exists to show that life goes on after suffering a traumatic injury or illness.
What has been the most important lesson you’ve learned along your journey?
Life isn’t always easy, for anyone – disability or not. We all deal with different issues. I am super passionate about what I do. My parents always thought me to give back. After suffering a traumatic life change in my life, I want other people to know that life does go on. It hasn’t always been rainbows and sun shines. I couldn’t accomplish what I have so far with the nonprofit if it wasn’t for my daughter and my amazing leadership team. Our group is growing, which is a good thing but also a little scary. Growth means more funds needed. We do not charge a membership fee and do not charge our members for our events. All the funds collected go back to our members and the adaptive community.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.beeabled.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beeabled.htx/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beeabled.htx
- Twitter: https://x.com/beeabled
