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Host
This is an iHeart podcast.
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Anna Sinfield
Hey, listener. I just wanted to give you a heads up that this episode contains some mentions of violence and abuse and a very brief mention of suicidal ideation. But it's also full of hope and joy and it's a testament to the power of finding your passion. Plus, there's a baby. So do skip if you need, and if not. I hope you love this chat as much as I did.
Host
I'm just looking at the target with this little dot on it and it's 50 meters away. I'm so in this headspace that I'm not paying attention to what's going on around me. It's almost like tunnel vision.
Anna Sinfield
Tracee Otto is at the shooting line of an archery range holding a bow and arrow.
Host
We're getting ready to shoot the 72 arrows for qualification. The venue is beautiful. It's just kind of out in this field in the middle of the Czech Republic. The weather was great. It was a little hot, but luckily I had the tent, so I had a little bit of shade that was blocking me.
Anna Sinfield
Her wheelchair is carefully planted at just the right angle. On either side of her are the other competitors. They're so close that they could almost bump elbows. It's 2023 and this is Tracey's first international archery competition. And so she's feeling a little nervous.
Host
My first shot, I kid you not, my first shot, I let the arrow go and all of a sudden I hear this loud ting and everyone turns and looks at me and I realized I hit not the target, but the number above the target. Like that tells you which target number you have. And it was so loud and everyone just stared at me. It was incredibly embarrassing.
Anna Sinfield
But Tracy isn't going to let that false start throw her off. Her boyfriend Ricky passes her another arrow and she reloads. She takes aim again. The arrow soars over the field and this time Tracy hits her target.
Host
It's such a rush and it feels so good. It's almost a very addicting feeling because you're like, oh, I have to do it again. I want to do it again. I have to have that feeling again.
Anna Sinfield
So she does it again and again and again.
Host
In that moment when you realize that you've hit the bullseye and everything has just kind of come to fruition and your goal of what you're trying to do, everything feels right in the world. Everything feels in harmony, like between you and your equipment. Everything just kind of all encompassing works.
Anna Sinfield
Tracey Otto was born to be an athlete. She's not just a wicked shot, she's also one of the most determined people that I've ever met. And she's had to be. To say that the universe has thrown a hell of a lot of crap at Tracee would be a massive understatement. That passion for archery you can hear in Tracy's voice helped her reclaim her life after a violent attack, and it took her to the very top of competitive sport. Now she's blazing a trail to inspire people all over the world, and it's almost enough to make me want to pick up a bow and arrow myself. I'm Anna Sinfield, and from the teams at novel and I heart podcast, this is the girlfriends sweet spotlight, where we tell stories of women winning. Today, Tracy hits The Bullseye in January 2018. Tracey is in her early 20s, and she's living in Chicago. She's just got out of a relationship and is definitely not in a hurry to meet someone. But when a new bar opens up nearby, Tracee's friend can't resist pointing out one of the bartenders.
Host
She's like, oh, look at. Look at that guy.
Anna Sinfield
He's.
Host
He's super cute. Cause she was single, too. I wasn't super interested. I was like, I, yeah, he's cute, I guess, like, whatever. Just kind of let it brush by.
Anna Sinfield
A couple of weeks later, Tracee and her friend are back at the same spot, and they see the bartender again.
Host
He was running back and forth, doing his thing, and we were just sitting at the bar, and I just remember him passing notes back and forth to me, Just trying to get to know me a little bit, but he was so busy, he couldn't sit down and talk.
Anna Sinfield
Like a real school tactic.
Host
Yeah. It kind of made me think of, like, middle school or something.
Anna Sinfield
Yeah.
Host
And he. He asked for my number. I gave it to him. So he's passing the notes, got his number, and then things just kind of went from there.
Anna Sinfield
Frank, the bartender, doesn't want to take things slow with Tracey. In fact, he's a bit full on.
Host
He was kind of love bombing me and, like, giving me all these little trinkets and these little things, like from walmart or little gifts or whatever. After work, we would go to ihop with his mom, actually, and he knew somebody there, I guess, and he would write little love notes in the pancakes for me, and I'm like, this is it. This is what it's supposed to be. I thought at the time, this was my person. We ended up moving to Florida in August of 2018.
Anna Sinfield
That's very quick.
Host
Yeah.
Anna Sinfield
To be moving all the way away from Family.
Host
Yeah. But there was part of me that was just ready to go do it. And I was like, okay, let's just go. Let's take a chance. Let's live life and see what happens.
Anna Sinfield
The two of them move into a rental house in Florida. Tracey dreams of being a doctor. She starts a pre med course at the University of Tampa and joins the local gym. At this point in her life, Tracey is able bodied and a fitness fanatic.
Host
I was meeting so many new people, making my girlfriends, like, you know, building my little tribe. And he didn't like that very much, especially because I remember some of my friends that I was making telling me, I don't really like him. They never was like, oh, he's abusive, or like, he's this horrible person. But they were like, something's a little bit off about him, I guess you could say. And I started to see it.
Anna Sinfield
Frank isn't the affectionate romantic she met in Chicago anymore. He's more withdrawn and always wanting to look at her phone. Tracey is constantly having to pick up extra work shifts to cover their bills. And understandably, it starts to wear on her.
Host
I ended up having to drop out of University of Tampa because I was working so much. Like, I was working almost 12 hour shifts and had no time for school. And I was in the car on the phone with him and I said, I was screaming. I was like, I am 22, 23 years old, and I'm not living my life. And it's like, why aren't you taking some of this responsibility? Why aren't you helping?
Anna Sinfield
One day a year after their move to Florida, something happens which makes it crystal clear to Tracy that Frank isn't the person she thought he was.
Host
We were fighting and he smashed my phone, I remember. And he was about to smash my laptop so that I couldn't get ahold of anybody. And he grabbed me and threw me across a room. He threw me so hard that I landed really weird. And, like, I got a bunch of bruises and it was just really bad. I ended up calling the police on him a few days later to make a statement because I'm like, my friends that were with me at the time, they were like, that's not normal.
Anna Sinfield
The police arrest Frank, but someone close to him convinces Tracy to drop the charges.
Host
She told me not to tell anybody, that everything was fine, that it was just, you know, a moment in time that we just had a bad fight, that he wasn't that person, I guess you could say I actually. I picked him up from jail.
Anna Sinfield
Wow.
Host
Yeah. I Was the first person that he saw when he came out of jail.
Anna Sinfield
And why did you do that?
Host
I don't know. I remember just feeling so guilty. Not guilty, but, like, guilt's not the word. I don't even know how to explain it. But I just. I felt horrible that he went to jail because of me. Like, I felt like it was my fault that he was being violent and not able to control himself, I guess.
Anna Sinfield
After Frank's violent outburst, Tracey knows she needs to end things.
Host
I kicked him out. He gathered all of his stuff and left the house.
Anna Sinfield
Tracey is determined to build her life back up. She works her shifts at the local golf club bar. And tries to focus on herself. But then, when she least expects it, she meets someone new.
Host
It's another bar story. But this time, I was the bartender.
Anna Sinfield
You gotta stop hanging out at bars.
Host
I know. What the heck? I just. I gotta stop doing that. But I'm at work, and I'm bartending. A celebration of life. And Ricky came in for the celebration of life. Because he knew the person that passed away. And he tells me that as soon as he walked in the room, he's like, I'm going to marry that girl. That girl's mine.
Anna Sinfield
Smooth.
Host
Yeah, right. He comes to the bar, and all night he keeps trying to go to me. I noticed, like, him ordering the same thing over and over again. He kept getting Miller Lights. But I, like, I had everything going on with Frank. And I just. I wasn't in that headspace to necessarily open myself up to another relationship. Just given everything that was going on. Later, we end up talking, and I hung out with him all night. And we facetime all the time going from that day. And we talk all day, every day.
Anna Sinfield
Ricky makes Tracey smile, and he's totally smitten all day. He keeps sending her country love songs. A little cheesy, maybe, but sweet. It turns out that he lives in Chicago, where Tracey grew up. So they arranged to have their first date there. When she's home visiting family.
Host
We went to a rooftop bar over the city and had a glass of wine. And we saw someone get engaged. It was magical.
Anna Sinfield
When Tracy returns to Florida, Ricky comes too. They spend a couple of days hanging out at her place. Doing all those typical new couple things.
Host
We go grocery shopping to grab some stuff. We're gonna have a little date night at my house. He's gonna cook me dinner. Cause Ricky's a really good cook. Have, you know, a bottle of wine. Have a super cute night.
Anna Sinfield
That evening, a friend stops by unexpectedly. Ricky makes pasta for them all. It's a totally normal night, but after the friend leaves, Ricky starts to feel a little bit strange.
Host
I remember him saying, should we spend the night at one of my friend's houses? Because I guess he had a weird feeling, I don't know. And I was like, well, I don't, I don't want to leave the dogs again because I had just gotten back from that trip and I had nobody to watch them because Frank had alienated me from all my friends. And then we go in the room, we flip on the TV and I took my last sip of wine and I put the wine glass down on my nightstand and I turn over and we're getting ready for bed. And we said goodnight and I just remember the feeling of the cool sheets on my body. And I drifted off to sleep. And then I was woken up by a really, really bright flashlight and someone screaming at me to get out of bed. And I was like, what? What is going on? Cause I was dead asleep and I realized it was Frank. He wakes us up screaming at us to get out of bed. I take the covers off, I slowly get out of bed and I start to walk towards him and I saw the gun and I just, I remember that feeling of my heart falling out of my chest and being like, okay, this is how I die.
Anna Sinfield
After the break, Tracey wakes up.
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Anna Sinfield
The first thing Tracy hears when she wakes up in hospital is the sound of a camera shutter. A detective is standing over her bed taking pictures of her body.
Host
When I came into consciousness I knew something bad had happened and I knew who did It. But I didn't know exactly what. My body felt different. It's almost like. Have you ever had work done on your teeth?
Anna Sinfield
Yes. Yeah.
Host
How they numb you?
Anna Sinfield
Yeah.
Host
That feeling of it just being numb is what my whole body feels like.
Anna Sinfield
Kind of alien.
Host
Yeah. Strange. Not pressure or buzzing, but just different.
Anna Sinfield
Yeah.
Host
So I knew something was wrong, but like I said, I just. I didn't know what. And my thought was just Ricky. And I remember just calling out for him, like, not even being able to speak. I'm just like, where's Ricky? Like, what happened?
Anna Sinfield
When the doctors realize she's awake, they tell Tracey everything. Frank used a spare key to get into the house and attacked Tracy and Ricky with a knife and a high powered pellet gun, like the kind you used to kill small animals. They were both shot multiple times and stabbed. It's honestly a miracle that either of them are still alive. Ricky has a collapsed lung and hearing loss in one ear. Tracey lost an eye and is now paralyzed from the chest down. It's overwhelming and even harder for Tracey to process because she's still drifting in and out of consciousness.
Host
I'm in the ICU and I was intubated because I couldn't breathe on my own because of how high my spinal cord injury is. So I had the surgery on my throat, my eye. They sewed up the back of my neck. And Ricky was in another part of the hospital, so he was trying to get to me, but he was in this hospital gown with the back open, running down the hallway to get to the ICU to find me. When he comes in, I open my eyes a little bit and I tried to talk to him, and I couldn't because of the tubes. And I started gagging. And I remember hearing them just go, don't talk. Don't talk. And then I lose consciousness again. But I remember seeing his face through, like, my eyelashes. But here's a picture. This is the first time we saw each other. Yeah. I like to call it our iconic picture.
Anna Sinfield
It's obviously tragic because you're there in your gown and Ricky's kind of looking at you and you've got this brace on and tubes, and you both look like you're, you know, in a sorry state. But also there's something so beautiful about it, like the way he's looking at you. There's so much love.
Host
Yeah, I feel that too. The way he has his hand on my forehead and. Yeah, I. I love, hate that picture.
Anna Sinfield
I can understand that because it's like.
Host
It shows all the damage that was done. But at the same time, it's the start of something so beautiful.
Anna Sinfield
It's really wild to me to think about just how new Tracey and Ricky's relationship was at this point. Like, they'd only been on one official date and hung out for a few days, and now they've gone through this unbelievably traumatic ordeal. I think a lot of people would call it quits after that. For Tracey and Ricky, it was only the beginning, but they still had a long road of recovery ahead.
Host
Physical therapy started right away when I was in the hospital, like, setting me up and getting me to move. But I was constantly passing out, so it wasn't going very well. This was a catastrophic injury. I'm literally like an infant again. Not even because I don't have control over my muscles, but just learning how to live life again.
Anna Sinfield
Ricky recovered more quickly than Tracy, and so he helped to care for her. And day by day in the hospital, she regained her strength.
Host
They brought me in breakfast, and Ricky was sitting on the couch kind of right next to me under the window. And he was about maybe 3, 4ft away from me. And we had just gotten into a little bickerment. Not an argument, not bickering, but a bickerment. And they brought me breakfast, and he asked me if I wanted help with it. I was like, no, I got it. Like, I'll figure it out. Because I was being stubborn, as I always am. And I look at everything, and I'm like, crap. How am I gonna do this? Because my paralysis affects my hands. I can wiggle my fingers, but there's no strength behind them. So I'm sitting there looking at my breakfast. It's cereal, and I have a spoon, and I have a little carton of milk. And you wouldn't think that something as mundane as a bowl of cereal would be a task, but it was. So it takes me about, like, five minutes to get the spoon woven in between my fingers to be able to pick it up and feed myself. And I get it in my fingers, and I'm about to take a bite of this cereal, and at this point, I'm like, I need to ate. Well, I realized that I hadn't yet poured the milk in because I was so focused on trying to get the spoon. So I put the spoon down, I grabbed the carton of milk, and I'm like, how am I going to get this open? And I finally rip it open with my teeth, and I make a mess of it, but I get it. I very carefully pour it into the bowl and fill up my cereal. And I put the spoon in, and I just. I take this big bite of cereal, and I just remember being so proud of myself. So I smile, not realizing. Even though Ricky and I had just gotten into a fight and he was pretending like he wasn't paying attention, he was actually paying attention, watching me try to figure this out. And as soon as I take that bite and I smile, I look over at him, and he's just. Just bawling his eyes out, sobbing. Because he's like, I can't believe you just did that. I'm so proud of you that you worked through that. And that was, like, kind of my first big milestone of learning how to be a quadriplegic.
Anna Sinfield
Small victories.
Host
Yeah. And that's been the theme throughout this whole time is celebrating the small victories. You know, life isn't a sprint, it's a marathon. And as you do things and as you learn and grow, things get easier. It just takes time.
Anna Sinfield
The way Tracey talks about that bowl of cereal really says a lot about her. When she sees a problem, she wants to solve it. She thinks it through strategically and finds a creative solution. And as the months passed and she got to know her new body, all that determination and energy needed to go somewhere.
Host
I can't work a traditional job because of my lack of function. It just try being a surgeon or something with no hand function that just doesn't work. So going into medicine wasn't going to be it for me. So I had to find something else because I can't just sit. I'm not that kind of a person. I'm a very go, go, go get things done kind of person.
Anna Sinfield
By this point, about a year and a half into her recovery, Tracy and Ricky have moved back to Florida together. One day when they were in the car, Tracy has an idea.
Host
I turned to Ricky as we were going down the highway, and I'm like, why don't we shoot archery? And it was just a random thought. It wasn't anything planned. And he looks at me kind of funny. Like, his face kind of puzzles. And he's like, but your hands don't work. And I'm like, but that's okay. Like, we'll figure it out. We'll make something work. We'll make something happen.
Anna Sinfield
I just wanted to try and understand why it was archery that popped in your head initially.
Host
I really don't know. I don't understand it either. Cause I had never shot archery in my life.
Anna Sinfield
Yeah, ever. What a weird thing to choose.
Host
I know. I get that A lot.
Anna Sinfield
It wouldn't have been where I went.
Host
I, you know, never in my life, five years ago, had you told me I'd be a one eyed quadriplegic who shoots archery, I would laugh at you. I would laugh at you. But here we are.
Anna Sinfield
After that light bulb moment in the car, Tracey searches for archery programs that have been adapted for people with disabilities. There are only a couple in the whole country, and one of them is just down the road.
Host
I send the head coach an email, shot my shot. And I was like, hey, what does your program look like? What is your availability? I would love to come explore, see what we can do, see how we can figure this out.
Anna Sinfield
The following week, when Tracy arrives at the All People's Life center in Tampa, Earl Brown, the head coach, is there to meet her.
Host
He has a son who had a stroke in utero. So his left side, I believe it's his left side doesn't function well. So he shoots with a bite tab, which is a little piece of fabric or dog leash or leather that goes onto the string of the bow and you bite down on it, and that's how you draw the bow. So when I get there, Earl asks me about my function, and he ends up putting a bite tab on there for me.
Anna Sinfield
Tracy lifts up the bow and takes aim.
Host
I was kind of nervous. I was afraid I was going to drop the bow, which I did. My mind was kind of running a million miles a minute trying to learn and figure it out and navigate this new thing that I had never tried before. How can I troubleshoot this to make it as accurate as possible so I can play this game and enjoy this and do something with it? I took my first shot. I hit the target. It wasn't very far away. It was about 10, 15ft away, but I hit the target. I heard it, and I'm just like, oh, my gosh, I love this. This is amazing. This is so much fun because it was something that I could do on my own. I mean, I need help to get strapped in now and to, you know, make sure everything's secure and safe. But actually executing the shot, I can do it on my own, and it gave me this sense of freedom.
Anna Sinfield
If I just discovered archery like Tracey, I would probably be thinking about, you know, joining a club, practicing a couple of times a week, maybe following a few archery accounts on Instagram, you know, the normal hobby stuff. But Tracey doesn't do things by halves. At that very first session, she pulls one of the coaches aside.
Host
I was like, what is the biggest competition for this? What is the end all, be all? What is the journey for this? And he goes, well, you can go to the Paralympics. And I was like, okay, when is it? And he goes, it's in Paris in 2024. And I was like, let's go, I'll be there. Let's do it. And that's where it all started.
Anna Sinfield
Also, the bright Tracey does it. She gets to work on making her Paralympic dreams a reality.
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Anna Sinfield
You decided after only firing an arrow about three times that you were going to go to Paris. Can you describe what you then did as like your training regime? How do you prepare for something like that?
Host
It was actually kind of a really long road because not only was I learning a new sport, but I was also recovering from a catastrophic injury. So training wasn't as streamlined as it would have been for someone who was up and running and healthy and didn't have these injuries. I remember very, very clearly struggling about 30 minutes into practice, not being able to continue because I was just so exhausted. The goal is to train almost every day, or at least three to five times a week. Sometimes I maintain that goal, sometimes I don't. A lot of times I don't because I just don't feel well. But I do the best that I can.
Anna Sinfield
At what point did you realize within your training that you actually had a bit of a talent for this?
Host
I don't think I have yet.
Anna Sinfield
I can tell you here and now you've got a talent for it. Yeah.
Host
Thank you. I try so hard. I just, I. I have this drive that I Want to be better at it, that I want to. I want to be the best at it in my class. I want to take over the world. And like I said, maintaining that mindset of there's always progress to be made just being an athlete, you know?
Anna Sinfield
Yeah, absolutely. Thinking of, like being an athlete. What was your first competition and how did that feel?
Host
It was the Russ Harvey tournament that was held by all peoples early in the year. And I was just so excited to get started. Like, that moment was like, this is where the race starts. This is where training starts. This is where a new life starts. I just remember being so excited that I had something, I had a thing.
Anna Sinfield
Yeah.
Host
I feel like there's people that go through their whole life not finding something that sets their soul free like that. And I'm blessed to be able to have that.
Anna Sinfield
You're very lucky to have found a thing that gives you that feeling because like you said, not everyone manages to do that.
Host
It makes you feel so whole.
Anna Sinfield
Yeah. When you find your groove, you know?
Host
Yeah.
Anna Sinfield
With each competition, Tracey rises up the archery rankings. Ricky is by her side every step of the way. He's Tracy's arrow agent, which is the person on the team who passes her the arrows and collects them after she shoots. Truly, in all areas of Tracey's life, Ricky's got her back. Then in 2023, the moment Tracey has been working towards, the qualifying trials for the Paris Paralympics. There are three rounds and the final one is in May.
Host
You shoot the 72 arrows for a score out of 720, and you have to hit a minimum qualifying score, which is 520, I believe, for my class at the time.
Anna Sinfield
On the day of the final trial, Tracee isn't feeling well, but she shoots her arrows into the target with her usual laser focus. It's hungry work. And so after she puts her bow and arrow down, she decides to have a well deserved snack on some chocolate rice cakes.
Host
And I was munching and my mouth was full of food. And I turned to the right and there's a bunch of people around me and a bunch of cameras that I didn't realize were there. And Ricky's walking towards me with this white box. I'm like, what the hell? First of all, my mouth is full of food. I probably have chocolate everywhere. I'm starving. And Ricky's coming towards me with this box and he puts it on my lap and it has the seal of the Paralympic team on it. And I just, I lost it. So I open it and it was this hat. That was made for all the Paralympians and it says made it on the inside. And I just remember people taking pictures and just bawling my eyes out because I had just finished this competition, not feeling well, but I made the Paralympic team. And then two days later, on the 15th, I found out I was pregnant. Oh, my gosh.
Anna Sinfield
Yeah. Life changed in a flash.
Host
Yeah. So much stuff happened in such a condensed, small period of time.
Anna Sinfield
Tracey had also just experienced another major milestone. In January of 2023, her ex boyfriend, Frank, was convicted on multiple charges for the attack on Tracy and Ricky, including attempted murder. He was sentenced to 40 years behind bars.
Host
Some could say that my life is the way that it is and is so good because of him, but no, I refuse to think that way. My life has changed because of him. But everything that ensued after that was all given by not only the grace of God, but through hard work and dedication and love and navigating our way not because of him.
Anna Sinfield
Absolutely. What Frank did was a terrible, terrible thing. And the amazing thing that both you and Ricky have done is manage to just continue, not just continue living, but to thrive beyond that. Like, you've kind of phoenixed from the ashes and that's all you.
Host
I have to.
Anna Sinfield
It's got nothing to do with him.
Host
Oh, absolutely. Like, I just. I can't not. I'm the kind of person that I go with all my heart wherever I go, and I just. I can't justify not having conversations like this and bringing awareness to situations like this, because it could save somebody's life one day. I want to change the world. Don't get me wrong. I want to take over the world and just leave this place better than I found it. But if I can change just one person's world by, you know, having a conversation or sharing my story, then I'm gonna do it.
Anna Sinfield
Yeah. And show someone that they really do have the power to build life back up when someone's knocked all the blocks down.
Host
Absolutely.
Anna Sinfield
I want to get the sense of how you felt. You know, it's summer, 2024, you're going to Paris. What were you feeling and thinking getting on the plane? Because that's so cool.
Host
Yeah, I was just. It didn't feel real. Yeah, it didn't feel real. I don't think it really hit me until we got to Paris. Oh, I know when it hit me, we were on the bus going to the venue and they were like 30 minutes from the Paralympic Village. So we were at 30, 45 minutes. So we were on the bus. For a while. So sick on that bus. Oh, my gosh.
Anna Sinfield
Oh, Pregnant, too.
Host
Yeah. And I had four kidney stones from being pregnant, too.
Anna Sinfield
Oh, wow.
Host
It was horrible. It was so sick. It was so sick all day, every day. But we fought through it. But I remember being on that bus, and we go past the arc de triumph. I saw it in all of its glory, and I just lost it. I lost it. I started bawling my eyes out like, oh, my God. We're here. We're doing this. We're in Paris. This is really happening.
Anna Sinfield
Yeah. It must have just felt amazing out of this world.
Host
Happiness and bliss doesn't cover it well.
Anna Sinfield
And then, not only that, but you were doing this competition with a baby, unborn baby by your side, you know, really doing it with you.
Host
Like, oh, yeah. So cool.
Anna Sinfield
That must have felt amazing, this transitional point of your life. The archery finals in Paris take place in the gardens of Les invalides, An elaborate complex of buildings built in the 1600s. Tracey is shooting in the shadow of a massive gold dome where actual Napoleon is buried.
Host
That finals venue was just breathtaking. The royal blue carpet, the targets down at the end with, like, the flags on them blowing in the wind. I can see the crowd on both sides going all the way down from where I'm at to the target. And the energy of the crowd was just amazing. Like, everyone was just so excited. And so. So when we were doing the practice runs, I was really jittery, and my shots weren't going the way that I wanted them to, so that made me more nervous.
Anna Sinfield
But when it's time for Tracee to shoot for real, everything shifts.
Host
I wasn't nervous anymore. It was just. I almost felt calm and quiet and ready to do what I set out to do.
Anna Sinfield
Can you describe the moment you were kind of, like, drawing back the bow in that, like, official finals?
Host
Yeah, I. In my head, I was like, I believe in you. I believe in you. I believe in you. And I just kept saying that to myself over and over again. And I took a deep breath, lined up my shot. I exhaled, let the arrow fly. And then I ended up hitting a couple tens, I think. But I was the first 10 of the day for that one, and I was so excited, and it was just. It was a really cool moment.
Anna Sinfield
Where did you place and how did you feel about it?
Host
I placed 8th in individual and 6th in mixed teams with my partner, Jason. From a normal. I guess you could say perspective, I'm incredibly proud because we were there. We did it. The goal was to go and compete but from an athlete's perspective, I'm hard on myself. I want to do better. I want to bring home the gold. So that's on my agenda to do, to complete. That's my next goal, is to win gold on home soil in LA 2028. Other than that, I'm incredibly proud. Over the moon with what we did and pushing through. Given being pregnant and having kidney stones, I think we did pretty well.
Anna Sinfield
Just as Tracey is saying this, Ricky pops his head into the room.
Host
Come here, babe. Put a headphone in. Hey. Hey.
Anna Sinfield
Nice to meet you.
Host
Nice to meet you, too. So sorry, I just came in to grab some coffee. But just to touch base about her making it to Paris. Not only did she make it to Paris, she went in ranked number one in the world.
Anna Sinfield
Oh, okay. You managed to miss that one off Tracy.
Host
Yeah, I can brag about this one all day. She usually misses something off. And she was pregnant, which kicked her butt, but so sick.
Anna Sinfield
You guys are so cute. I'm obsessed. Will you adopt me, mom and dad?
Host
Yes, of course.
Anna Sinfield
One night, before they headed home from the City of Love, Ricky arranged for them to make the obligatory romantic trip to the Eiffel Tower. But Tracy wasn't feeling it.
Host
It took us about two hours to get an Uber successfully to be able to go to the Eiffel Tower. And at that point, I was so hungry and I was so sick, just not feeling good. I'm like, I don't want to do this. I can't do this. I'm like, let's just. Just give up on this. Let's go another day. Well, we finally get in the Uber, and we get there, and my whole, like, chosen family in wheelchairs is there, and his mom is there, his sister's there. So we go to take a picture, but then Ricky walks around to my blind side and gets on one knee, and I'm getting ready to move out of the way so other people can take pictures. So I'm starting to move, and Ricky's like, wait, wait, wait. And I'm like, oh, oh, there's a diamond. And I'm just like, you're on your knee, and the Eiffel Tower is in the background. And it's just. It was nothing less than magical. And he. He asked me. He's like, will you be my wife? And I'm like, yes, absolutely. And I hug him and we cry. Well, I cry. I ugly cried for, like, 20 minutes after. I remember his mom and his sister came up to me afterwards and gave me the biggest hug and said, welcome to the family. And it was a very wholesome moment.
Anna Sinfield
And yet again, Ricky just being so smooth.
Host
Yeah, I know.
Anna Sinfield
About five months after Ricky made his grand proposal, they welcomed a new addition into their family.
Host
Can I show you the baby?
Anna Sinfield
Is there a baby around the corner? Ricky appears holding their tiny one month old daughter, Riley.
Host
This is my little doggy doo.
Anna Sinfield
Oh, my God. We're recording on Valentine's Day and Riley is suitably kitted out in an adorable red onesie covered in love hearts. How do you ever get anything done?
Host
Everyone asks me that. I don't get anything done. To answer your question. I don't. I stare at her all day.
Anna Sinfield
She's gorgeous.
Host
Thank you. I like to think so too. She's pretty perfect.
Anna Sinfield
Ricky tenderly takes baby Riley and carries her into the other room. Looking back now at everything that you've achieved, how do you feel about your journey?
Host
Mm. I wouldn't trade it for the world.
Anna Sinfield
Everything.
Host
I wouldn't trade it for anything. I wouldn't trade it for anything. It's been the hardest thing I've ever done in my life. Recovering from a spinal cord injury, picking up a new sport, having a baby, trying to live life again. But it has been the most amazing, beautiful, colorful, outstanding. I don't even have the word to describe this journey and I'm so grateful for it. I'm. I have my moments where I get sad and depressed and, you know, like, I hate to say it, where, like I get sad to that point where suicide does come up and it hurts, but I always take myself out of it and I always work my way through it. That's just a part of mental health, but. And finding help and taking care of myself has been a big part of that journey. But at the end of the day, I couldn't be happier. I couldn't be more grateful. Blessed beyond belief is what I always say. Because God has given me so much that I wouldn't change it for anything.
Anna Sinfield
So I don't need to reinforce here just how special Tracy is, or Ricky, or even Riley for that matter. It became so apparent to me over the course of our chat that despite them both being younger than me, I now refer to them as Mum and Dad. And I'm going to be bringing around my laundry very soon. So instead I wanted to highlight another part of Tracey's story that I think is really significant and that's finding that thing, the thing that makes you feel alive, your version of archery. Now you don't have to go through something as horrific as Tracey has to find the thing that makes even a mundane, untraumatic life more livable for me. I realized that I was an absolute sucker for music and theatre when my parents took me to see the iconic 1994 West End production of Oliver. I've spent my entire life running around stages and making noises in microphones ever since. So you can blame them for this podcast. These are things that we silly little humans do just for the joy of it. And if you feel like you're not doing enough things just for the joy of it, then you need to take a leaf out of Tracy's book. Because if there's one thing this interview is absolutely brimming with more than tragedy, it's joy and hope and a great sales pitch for the life altering force that is archery and other passions. I am really excited to share the stories of some truly incredible women with you this season. Coming up on the Girlfriend Spotlight, Luanne escaped the order.
Host
I was approached to be married to my cousin slash nephew. As his fourth wife. I knew that it was going to happen with or without my consent.
Anna Sinfield
Nellie goes undercover.
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Anna Sinfield
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Host
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Anna Sinfield
And June rocks America. I might as well have said we're.
Host
Going to walk on the moon as say we're starting a band. I mean, was that ridiculous? You know?
Anna Sinfield
Hey, you've reached the girlfriend's hotline. You can leave your mini story after the tone. Right, catch you later.
Host
Bye.
H
My grandma passed away about four years ago and she passed away in Oman whilst I was living in London and I wasn't able to go back for the funeral. My flatmates were taking excellent care of me during this time, but one specific incident stands out to me. I remember it was like a gloomy November night. It was raining, it was freezing outside and I had just been feeling quite sad and like I needed some kind of refreshing change of routine. Without hesitation, my flatmate said, all right, put on your coat, put on some boots and a scarf.
Host
Scarf.
H
And let's go on a walk. And this has probably been the most memorable walk I've ever taken in London. I think we walked for about three hours and passed every monument and landmark of London from Westminster Parliament to Big Ben to the Tower of London to London Bridge and the whole time she just listened to me talk about my grandma or talk about things that would distract me or just very silly things like how badly we wanted to watch the Shrek musical which we passed by. I just remember laughing and smiling so much during a time that would have otherwise been characterized by a lot of sadness. And I just feel so grateful to have friends who will go on three to four hour walks with you in the middle of winter in London when you need a change of scene.
Anna Sinfield
If you have your own story like the one you just heard and you'd like the whole whole girlfriends gang to hear it, then please send it to us. You can record it as a voice memo under 90 seconds please and email it straight to thegirlfriendsovel audio. Please don't include your name. We're keeping things a little anon. We want stories like say that one time you faked an emergency on an awful date and your bestie bailed you out with a phone call we love. Or that time when all of your girls showed up on your doorstep with five pizzas, two tubs of ice cream and three bottles of Sauvignon Blanc because the man of your dreams just dumped you. I want stories that are meaningful or silly. I want big. I want small. I'm desperate to hear them, so send them over. This season the Girlfriend Spotlight is supporting the charity Womankind Worldwide. They do amazing work to help women's rights organizations and movements to strengthen and grow. If you'd like to find out more or donate to help them secure equal rights for women and girls across the globe, you can go to womankind.orguk the Girlfriend Spotlight is produced by Novel for iHeart podcast. For more from Novel, visit Novel Audio. This episode was written and produced by Caroline Thornham. Our assistant producer is Lucy Carr. Our researcher is Zayana Yusuf. The editor is Hannah Marshall. Max o' Brien and Craig Strachan are our executive producers. Production management from Joe Savage, Cherie Houston and Charlotte Wolf. Sound Sound design, mixing and scoring by Nicholas Alexander and Daniel Kempson. Music supervision by Jake Otyvich, Nicholas Alexander and Anna Sinfield. Original music composed by Louisa Gerstein and Gemma Freeman. The series artwork was designed by Christina Lehmkul. Willard Foxton is Creative Director of development and special thanks to Katrina Norvell, Carrie Lieberman and and Will Pearson at iHeart Podcasts, as well as Carly Frankel and the whole team at wme.
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Host
This is an iHeart podcast.
Release Date: April 7, 2025
Host/Author: Anna Sinfield, Journalist behind The Girlfriends
In the premiere episode of The Girlfriends: Spotlight, Anna Sinfield delves into the inspiring journey of Tracey Otto—a woman who transformed her life after surviving a brutal attack. This episode, titled "Tracy Hits the Bullseye," chronicles Tracey's path from trauma to triumph, highlighting her unwavering determination to reclaim her life through the sport of archery.
Tracey's story begins with her move from Chicago to Florida, where she enters a relationship with Frank—a man who initially appears charming but soon reveals his abusive nature. Tracey shares:
Tracey Otto (10:07): "I was screaming. I was like, I am 22, 23 years old, and I'm not living my life."
Friends voiced concerns about Frank's behavior, hinting at the instability in their relationship. Despite these red flags, Tracey felt compelled to support Frank, even going so far as to pick him up from jail after an altercation.
One fateful night, Frank's violent tendencies culminate in a horrifying attack on Tracey and her then-boyfriend, Ricky. Tracey recounts the traumatic event:
Tracey Otto (14:24): "I remember hearing them just go, don't talk. Don't talk."
The assault left Tracey with a paralyzed body from the chest down and the loss of an eye. Ricky sustained severe injuries as well, including a collapsed lung and hearing loss in one ear. In her hospital awakening, Tracey describes the immediate aftermath:
Tracey Otto (20:07): "How are you going to get this open?"
The gravity of their injuries underscores the severity of Frank's actions, yet Tracey's resilience begins to shine through even in these darkest moments.
During her lengthy recovery, Tracey faces both physical and emotional challenges. With Ricky's unwavering support, she embarks on a journey of self-discovery. A pivotal moment occurs when Tracey decides to take up archery, a sport she had never previously engaged in. Reflecting on her first steps into archery, she shares:
Tracey Otto (29:22): "I hit the target. I heard it, and I'm just like, oh, my gosh, I love this. This is amazing."
This newfound passion becomes a beacon of hope, providing Tracey with purpose and a pathway to rebuild her life.
Determined to excel, Tracey contacts Earl Brown, the head coach at the All People's Life Center in Tampa, to explore adaptive archery programs. Her dedication is evident as she describes her initial training sessions:
Tracey Otto (35:16): "I have this drive that I want to be better at it, that I want to. I want to be the best at it in my class. I want to take over the world."
Despite physical limitations and the exhaustion from her injuries, Tracey's relentless pursuit leads her to qualify for the Paris 2024 Paralympics. Anna highlights Tracey's strategic mindset and resilience:
Anna Sinfield (26:16): "When she sees a problem, she wants to solve it. She thinks it through strategically and finds a creative solution."
The culmination of Tracey's hard work arrives during the Paralympic trials. Despite battling pregnancy-related health issues, she delivers an outstanding performance, securing her place on the Paralympic team. Tracey vividly recalls the moment of her achievement:
Tracey Otto (38:29): "I opened it and it was this hat. That was made for all the Paralympians and it says made it on the inside."
Her subsequent success in Paris is a testament to her perseverance:
Tracey Otto (44:20): "I believe in you. I believe in you. I believe in you."
Though she placed 8th individually and 6th in mixed teams, Tracey's accomplishment is celebrated as a significant personal victory, especially considering her circumstances.
Amidst her athletic pursuits, Tracey's personal life flourishes. She meets Ricky, who becomes her steadfast partner and support system. Their relationship deepens, leading to a heartfelt marriage proposal at the Eiffel Tower:
Tracey Otto (46:39): "He asked me. He's like, will you be my wife? And I'm like, yes, absolutely."
Five months later, Tracey and Ricky welcome their daughter, Riley, into the world, symbolizing new life and hope.
As the episode concludes, Tracey reflects on her incredible journey:
Tracey Otto (49:03): "I wouldn't trade it for anything. It's been the hardest thing I've ever done in my life... But it has been the most amazing, beautiful, colorful, outstanding."
Despite moments of depression and suicidal ideation, Tracey's commitment to her mental health and passion for archery propels her forward, inspiring listeners with her story of resilience and empowerment.
Anna Sinfield encapsulates Tracey's journey as a story brimming with hope and joy, emphasizing the importance of finding one's passion in overcoming adversity. The Girlfriends: Spotlight not only celebrates Tracey's achievements but also serves as a powerful reminder of the strength inherent in the human spirit.
Notable Quotes:
Produced by: Novel for iHeart Podcasts
Special Thanks: Katrina Norvell, Carrie Lieberman, Will Pearson, and the entire team at WME.
For more inspiring stories and episodes, subscribe to The Girlfriends on Apple Podcasts and join the community of listeners who celebrate the strength and stories of incredible women.