A rising star on the Canadian gymnastic Olympic team, Taylor Lindsay-Noel, suffered a horrifying training accident that paralyzed her from the neck down in 2008. She was 14 at the time.
Taylor Lindsay-Noel in an interview with The Star:
"I was getting to re-write my narrative — divorcing an identity — only, a lot earlier. I grew up really fast, and earlier. Most people learn by the time they are adults that things can change suddenly. I found out early."
Resilient beyond words, Lindsay-Noel went to college majoring in radio and television arts and began a podcast called "Tea Time with Tay." She followed her obsession with tea by founding a tea company. It's one thing to be a quadriplegic starting a new business but when it's good enough to be noticed by Oprah Winfrey, you have arrived. Oprah has put Taylor's Cup of Té gift sets on her Holiday list of her Favorite Things for 2020.
But Lindsay-Noel isn't just an entrepreneur. With every sale of her Cup of Té starter kit, she donates $1 to mental health causes, including CAMH (Centre for Addiction and Mental Health) Suicide Prevention.
Lindsay Noel via The Star:
"There's life after tragedy. I'm hoping to break other glass ceilings. I'm a female, Black, disabled, small business owner… and I'm still here. NO is not a real word in the capacity of your life."