Initially, it was simply a fall down the stairs. In 2017, Whitney Lavender, now 44 and the reigning Ms. Wheelchair Tennessee 2026, suffered what appeared to be a relatively minor injury after damaging a nerve below her right knee. The years of medical and personal trauma that followed nearly broke Whitney, but her story has become one of strength and the perseverance of her spirit, thanks to her community of loved ones and her willingness to keep going.
After her fall in 2017, Whitney had no broken bones on X-rays or MRIs, but the pain radiating from her right knee was unlike anything she had ever experienced. Swelling overtook her leg, and any contact with her skin resulted in immobilizing nerve pain, making simple tasks like showering and even sleeping nearly intolerable. It took until February 2018, nearly a year later, to get a diagnosis for what was happening to her: Complex Regional Pain Syndrome, or CRPS. This rare and debilitating nerve disease is often described as one of the most painful diseases known to medicine.
Following her diagnosis was a relentless cycle of treatments, including spinal cord stimulation, infusions, and physical therapy, but nothing stopped the disease’s progression. Meanwhile, Whitney was raising her two children while also silently suffering in an emotionally abusive marriage.
By 2020, her right leg had become frozen and nonfunctional, and gangrene had developed in her toes, leaving amputation as the only option. On April 20, 2020, during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Whitney underwent an above-knee amputation of her right leg. “When I woke up, the pain was gone,” she says. “For the first time in years, I had relief.”
Unfortunately, the road ahead was far from smooth. Additional complications required multiple surgeries, and in 2021, the disease spread to her left leg. Efforts to save it failed, leading to a second above-knee amputation in September 2022. During this time, Whitney endured months in hospitals and nursing facilities, battled pneumonia, blood clots, and infection, and found herself more isolated than ever in her marriage. “It was the darkest point of my life,” she says.
Whitney’s lifeline became her relationship with childhood friends from her hometown of Amarillo, Texas. Soon, Whitney was flown home for treatment in Amarillo, and into the loving arms of friends determined to heal both her body and her spirit. Support from friends inspired Whitney to keep going, and she developed a mantra to help her focus on her healing each day. “I started saying, ‘I choose,’” she explains. “Then I’d choose a few things I could do each day that were in my control.”
At nearly 300 pounds and adjusting to life without both legs, Whitney began choosing health and movement with three-pound dumbbells. One workout at a time, she rebuilt her confidence, and within a year, she had lost more than 100 pounds. Today, Whitney’s fitness looks very different from what it once did. It includes adaptive training, strength work, and perhaps most surprisingly, Brazilian jiu-jitsu.
After moving to the Memphis area, Whitney was introduced to the sport through her partner, Jamie. She now trains regularly at All Heart Jiu Jitsu alongside athletes of all abilities. ”Nobody looks at me differently,” she says. “They just see me as part of the team.” That sense of belonging fuels her latest mission to promote adaptive martial arts and create opportunities for people with disabilities to discover movement, confidence, and connection.
Through both her healing journey and her newfound passion for martial arts, Whitney has learned that health is impossible without community. After years of unimaginable challenges, Whitney has found something stronger than survival. She has found purpose and is determined to help others find theirs, too.
Follow along with Whitney on Instagram @whitscomplex2.0 or at her website, Whitneylavender.com.
To learn more about All Heart Jiu Jitsu, visit Facebook.com/allheartjiujitsumma.
By Zoe Harrison
Photo by Tindall Stephens
