Born Without Legs: NYT Best-Selling Author Believes Everything is Possible with Jen Bricker-Bauer

March 14, 2022

According to Jen Bricker-Bauer, everything is possible. It’s not often that you know your purpose from childhood, but Jen has made her dreams come true. Today’s Lift U Up: Inspiring Health Stories guest doesn’t just identify with being born without legs, being adopted as a baby, or growing up as a natural athlete. Instead, Jen identifies as an inspiration and is here to change the world, despite the challenges she faces. Tune in to hear how she does it, what the future brings for her, and why “can’t” isn’t in her vocabulary.

Also hear the incredible story of the Olympic gold medalist she idolized as a kid, and their unlikely connection that came years later. (Hint: They ended up being related!)

Born with Passion

Jen Bricker-Bauer was born and raised in a small town in Illinois to a family that supported her passions. Jen was adopted as a baby and born without legs, yet her family gave her a childhood that “breathed life into her”. She was encouraged to pursue what she wanted and found a love for sports, particularly tumbling. She competed in the Junior Olympics as the first person without legs to ever compete in power tumbling. Her natural athletic ability and exposure to inspiring female gymnasts kept her moving forward to continue making a name for herself.

Going Worldwide

In her early adulthood Jen moved to Florida for an internship and met the person who became her first acrobat and aerialist partner. Together, they created acts that no one had ever seen before. They caught international attention and within a year secured themselves an act on Britney Spears’ Circus World Tour. From there, Jen’s career exploded. Doors blew open and before she knew it, Jen and her partner were performing all over the world. Even after going solo, Jen’s performances never slowed down.

Making it Possible

If you asked Jen, she would say that the attention she gained from her groundbreaking acts came just as naturally as the acts themselves, thanks to the media attention she got as a child. She knew that there was so much purpose given to her through her challenges, and that it was much bigger than herself. Once solo, Jen transitioned to more speaking performances that took her to over 23 countries. She wrote a book titled Everything is Possible and spread that message all over the world. Though the pandemic slowed her down, today Jen has plans to never stop spreading her light – and fulfilling her purpose.

What else can you expect in this episode?

  • What having media attention was like as a kid.
  • The surprising story about the gymnast, Olympic gold-medalist Dominique Moceanu, Jen looked up to as a child, and their unlikely connection that came years later.
  • How Jen and her husband spent the pandemic at home.
  • Jen’s advice for when you don’t believe everything is possible in your own life.

Where to find Jen Bricker-Bauer: