Whitney Lavender ♿️🦿🤍

“This can’t all be for nothing.” I have said those words since the beginning of everything I’ve been through. Even when I couldn’t understand my own journey, I believed there had to be a greater purpose in what I would do with it. If sharing my story helps just one person in this life, then I have done my job. But Lord, I hope it helps a whole bunch of people. ❤️ When I look at these photos of myself speaking at Ms. Wheelchair America, I think about everything that brought me to that microphone. Abuse. Neglect. Addiction. Loss. Grief. Trauma. Divorce. Motherhood. A life-changing disease. Losing both legs. Learning how to begin again. There are so many chapters to my story. Somewhere in those chapters, someone else may recognize a piece of their own. That is why I choose to use my voice. Because I know what it feels like to be on your knees, crying out to God, “I can’t do this anymore.” I’ve been there. And if that is where you are today, I want you to know that there is hope beyond this moment. You deserve support while you find your way through it. There is still life to live, love to experience, and joy you haven’t met yet. I am living a life I couldn’t have imagined in some of my darkest moments. That is part of my testimony, too. So I’ll keep sharing the hard chapters alongside the beautiful ones. I’ll keep showing up, having honest conversations, and using what I’ve lived through to serve a greater purpose. If you know of an event, conference, church, school classroom, or stage where my message could make a difference, please connect with me. I welcome opportunities to speak about resilience, faith, disability, and rebuilding a life after everything changes. And if someone comes to mind as you read this, please send it their way. You may be the connection that helps my story reach the person who needs it. My story is still being written. And I intend to keep using my voice. ❤️

After the week I’ve had, these words hit a little DIFFERENT. Life can be messy, painful, unpredictable…and STILL full of moments worth being thankful for. I’m healing. I’m finding my way back. And I’m grateful I get another day to keep living this big, beautiful, complicated life of mine! 🙏🏼 Sometimes the little things really are the BIG things. 💜 What’s ONE thing you’re grateful for today? #WhitsGrit #Gratitude #ChooseJoy #EverythingIsOvercomable #ThankfulHeart

🧡 NOVEMBER IS CRPS AWARENESS MONTH! 🧡 And this month, we’re going BEYOND THE BURN. 🔥 For me, Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) isn’t just a medical diagnosis. It’s something that has completely changed the course of my life. After a fall in 2017, I developed CRPS. What followed was a journey I never could have imagined, ultimately leading to the loss of both of my legs. But here’s something I want people to understand: CRPS is SO much more than pain. It’s a complex condition that can affect nearly every aspect of someone’s daily life. And despite the devastating impact it can have, so many people have never even heard of it. So throughout November, I’m launching BEYOND THE BURN—a series of educational infographics featuring medical facts, eye-opening statistics, misconceptions, and the realities of living with CRPS. Not for sympathy. Not for pity. For understanding. For awareness. For the people fighting battles others cannot see. And for the patients who deserve to be HEARD and BELIEVED. My story is just one of many, and every CRPS journey looks different. 🧡 One month. One mission. Make the invisible visible. I’d love your help spreading awareness! Share this post, follow along throughout November, and let’s get some conversations started. Before today, had you ever heard of CRPS? 👇 #CRPSAwarenessMonth #ComplexRegionalPainSyndrome #CRPS #BeyondTheBurn #ColorTheWorldOrange

Fun fact: I wasn’t “ready” for half the things that ended up changing my life! 😂💜 I showed up anyway, figured things out as I went, and surprised myself along the way. You don’t have to have it all figured out to get started! So here’s your little nudge today…stop waiting for the perfect moment and GO FOR IT! 🙌🏼 Remember, everything is OVERCOMABLE. 💜 #WhitsGrit #JustStart #YouCanDoHardThings #everythingisovercomable #fyp

Me? Unapproachable?! BAHAHA! 😂 Please. I’ll talk to a brick wall if it looks friendly enough! 🤣 It’s the only thing I ever got in trouble for in school. But the people with platinum VIP access to my personality? Oh, they get the FULL, unfiltered, slightly unhinged Whitney experience! 🦖💜 And if you know, you KNOW! 😂 #WhitsGrit #IfYouKnowYouKnow #UnfilteredPersonality #MyPeople #peopleperson

🔥 MEMPHIS, THERE’S A NEW KID ON THE BLOCK! And we’re showing up to support them! 👊 This Saturday, November 7, Integrity MMA is bringing its FIRST-EVER fight night to The Coronet in Memphis! What makes this promotion special? They’re faith-based and committed to providing an alcohol-free, family-friendly atmosphere where EVERYONE can enjoy an exciting night of MMA action! 🙌 And yours truly will be there representing @MemphoWars, handling post-fight interviews and doing what I absolutely LOVE! 🎤💜 Come enjoy the fights, support this new promotion, and be sure to stop by the interview desk to say hello! 📍 WHERE: The Coronet | Memphis, TN 📅 WHEN: Saturday, November 7 🚪 DOORS: 5 PM CST 🥊 FIGHTS START: 6 PM CST 🎟️ TICKETS: integrity-mma.com Let’s show Integrity MMA some Memphis love! Grab your tickets, bring your crew, and SHARE this post to help spread the word! #IntegrityMMA #MemphoWars #MemphisMMA #FightNight #MemphisEvents

I need to take a minute to brag on this man right here. ❤️ If there’s one thing life has taught me, it’s how to fight for myself. But this past week, during one of the scariest experiences of my life, I was reminded what a blessing it is to have someone who will fight just as hard FOR me. @jamie2gs advocated for me tirelessly. He asked questions, pushed for answers, made sure my voice was heard, and never stopped showing up. Even when I didn’t have the strength to keep fighting, he did. And I don’t think he’ll ever fully understand what that means to me. For a very long time, I didn’t know what a healthy relationship looked like. I knew what it felt like to be hurt, overlooked, and made to feel like I wasn’t enough. What I didn’t know was what it felt like to be truly SEEN. To be appreciated for exactly who I am. To feel safe enough to let my guard down and know I don’t always have to be the strong one. Jamie has given me that, and after everything I’ve been through, I don’t take a second of it for granted. I’ve always said that everything is OVERCOMABLE, but that doesn’t mean we’re meant to overcome everything alone. ❤️ And to anyone who has been hurt or convinced themselves that real, healthy love isn’t in the cards for them… Please don’t count it out. You are not too broken. You are not too complicated. Your past does not determine the love you deserve. Sometimes the love you once dreamed and prayed about shows up when you least expect it. Jamie, thank you for seeing ALL of me, loving me, and standing beside me through it all. 😘💜 #HealthyLove #LoveAfterHardship #WhitsGrit #everythingisovercomable #relationshipgoals

BEST TWEET OF THE WEEK!! That’s rich Rich!!! LMAO 😂

Sometimes life hits the reset button FOR us, whether we’re ready or not. 🙃 But starting again isn’t failure. It’s another chance to keep moving forward. At your own pace. As many times as it takes. 💜 It’s never too late to begin again. Everything is OVERCOMABLE. #WhitsGrit #ItsNeverTooLate #KeepGoing #EverythingIsOvercomable #NewBeginnings

GUESS WHO’S HOME?! 🏡💜 I finally got sprung from the hospital VERY late last night, and let me tell you…sleeping in my own bed has NEVER felt so good! Worth every minute of that late-night escape! I’ve spent pretty much the entire day resting, and honestly, that’s about all I’ve had the energy to do. I’m tired. I’m weak. And if you know me, you know how much I absolutely HATE feeling that way. 🙄 BUT…the good news is that these awful headaches have been gradually improving with each passing day. I’m being reminded that the blood clot in my brain isn’t going to disappear overnight, and my body needs time to heal. Which means I have to do something I’m not particularly good at… BE PATIENT WITH MYSELF. 🫠 Next week, I’ll be following up with my primary care doctor, neurology, and ophthalmology. We’re also working on getting hematology lined up. Something tells me I’ll be collecting quite the assortment of doctor’s appointments over the coming weeks and months. But I’m home. The pain is improving. And we’re moving in the right direction. After everything that’s happened this past week, I’m choosing to focus on those victories, even if they seem small. I also want to take a moment to thank EVERYONE who has checked on me, prayed for me, sent messages, or simply followed along. I haven’t had the energy to respond to everyone, but please know your love and support haven’t gone unnoticed. ❤️ This whole experience has been incredibly scary, and I know there’s still a road ahead of me. For now, though, my biggest challenge might just be convincing my stubborn self that resting IS doing something productive. Who knew?! 😂 One day at a time. One little victory at a time. Everything is OVERCOMABLE. 💜 #CerebralVenousThrombosis #HealingJourney #OneDayAtATime #WhitsGrit #everythingisovercomable

You know what’s harder than getting UP these stairs? Getting back DOWN after 90 minutes of Jiu Jitsu! 😂💪 When I go train at All Heart Jiu Jitsu, these stairs are my warm-up before I even hit the mats. Then I spend the next hour and a half rolling, grappling, pushing myself, and giving everything I’ve got. And when we’re finished? When my arms are exhausted and I’m ready to call it a day? THOSE DAMN STAIRS ARE STILL WAITING ON ME! 🤣 Is it hard? Absolutely. Is it exhausting? You bet your ass. Do I let it stop me? NOT A CHANCE. Here’s the thing about doing hard things: They don’t suddenly become easy just because you’re determined. Sometimes they’re frustrating. Sometimes they’re exhausting. Sometimes you have to adapt, ask for help, or find a completely different way to get where you’re going. And sometimes you just have to remind yourself WHY you started. I didn’t come this far to stop at the stairs. Whether your obstacle is physical, mental, emotional, or something nobody else can see, don’t let a difficult chapter convince you that your story is over. Hard doesn’t mean impossible. And progress doesn’t have to look like anybody else’s. Everything is OVERCOMABLE. 💜 Now tell me…what’s a “staircase” in YOUR life that you’re working to overcome? #EverythingIsOvercomable #WhitsGrit #AdaptiveAthlete #AdaptiveJiuJitsu #YouCanDoHardThings

Sometimes the problem isn’t YOU. It’s the environment you’re in. 💜 Don’t let the wrong people or places convince you that you’re worth less than you are. Know your value. Find where you belong. And don’t be afraid to roll on when it’s time! 🔥 Stop settling for spaces that don’t recognize your worth. #KnowYourWorth #WhitsGrit #PersonalGrowth #NeverSettle #everythingisovercomable

You know what happens before an arrow flies forward? It gets pulled BACK. 🏹🔥 Well, life has been doing a WHOLE lot of pulling me backward lately. A blood clot in my brain and days spent in the hospital weren’t exactly part of my hunting season plans. 🙃 But here’s the thing… Don’t mistake a setback for a surrender. Right now, my focus is on healing. On getting stronger. On finding my footing (figuratively speaking, of course 😂) and getting back to the things I love. And when the time comes to draw that bow again, you’d better believe I’ll be ready. This setback might be BIG…but the COMEBACK is going to be even BIGGER. 💪🏼💜 I’ve still got targets to hit, adventures to chase, and a whole lot of life left to LIVE! Everything is OVERCOMABLE. 💜 #WhitsGrit #ComebackSeason #Archery #EverythingIsOvercomable #NeverGiveUp

Hey you, yeah you 🫵🫵🫵 GO VOTE!!! Luckily I got mine done early or I’d have missed this year. If I can do it, you can do it! Go!!!

It’s CHOOSE Tuesday. 🩷 This week feels a little different for me. Some weeks, choosing looks like pushing harder, showing up bigger, and chasing the next thing. And some weeks, choosing looks like healing. Choosing rest without guilt. Choosing patience when progress feels slow. Choosing faith when the answers aren’t all there yet. Choosing grace for yourself in a season you didn’t ask for. Choosing hope, even when things feel heavy. So this week, I’m not asking you to choose the words that make you feel the strongest. Choose the ones you need most. Maybe it’s peace. Maybe it’s courage. Maybe it’s recovery. Maybe it’s simply remembering to breathe. Pick 3 from this week’s image and drop them below. I’ll go first: healing, faith, and patience. 🩷 What are you choosing this week? #ChooseTuesday #HealingJourney #ChooseHope #faithoverfear #MindsetMatters

Pretty much sums it up… 🤣

Rolling into November with a whole lot of hope, a little extra GRIT, and a reminder that slowing down doesn’t mean giving up. 💜🍂 After the way October ended, I honestly have no idea what this month has in store for me. But here’s something I’m learning… Living life to the fullest doesn’t always mean doing MORE. Sometimes it means allowing yourself to rest. Finding something to laugh about on a hard day. Celebrating the smallest victories. Giving yourself grace when things don’t go as planned. And trusting God with the things you simply cannot control. So this November, I’m not chasing perfection or putting pressure on myself to accomplish a million things. I’m choosing to be present for the life I’ve been given. AND LET’S NOT FORGET…NOVEMBER MEANS HUNTING SEASON! 🦌🏹 So while I’m praying for healing, peace, and a little less chaos, I’m also putting in one very specific request… Lord, when I’m able to get back out there, please send a nice buck strolling broadside right into my shooting lane. I’ve had enough plot twists this year. Let’s make THAT part easy! 😂😂 Here’s to healing, growth, laughter, new adventures, unexpected blessings, and finding joy in the little things along the way. Because even when life gets complicated, there is still SO MUCH life worth living. 💜 What is ONE thing you’re hoping November brings into your life? 🍁 #HelloNovember #WhitsGrit #EverythingIsOvercomable #HuntingSeason #ChooseJoy

So blessed with wonderful people that brighten even the darkest of days… ☺️🥰🌸🌷🩷