Hometown hero and Paralympian works as a Philly doctor

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — A Philadelphia doctor has come full circle after being treated at a rehabilitation hospital. She now works there. 

As we uncover the heart behind the headline, there’s also a link to the Paralympics which are coming up.

This doctor, who has overcome a devastating injury, wants people to know that with determination and hard work, obstacles can be turned into triumphs.

Dr. Michelle Konkoly is back at Jefferson Moss-Magee, the rehab center where she recovered after being paralyzed when she was 18 trying to open a window.

“I had a freak accident,” she said. “I slipped and fell out of my fifth-floor dorm room window.”

She had multiple broken bones and a spinal cord injury.

“It was terrifying,” she said. “I could only wiggle one toe, that’s it. I couldn’t feel my legs at all.”

After months of rehab, she was able to walk again.

“I initially had almost complete paralysis, but I was lucky to get a lot of nerve recovery back, but I still do have some weakness in my legs,” Konkoly said.

They were the legs that had propelled her to becoming a competitive swimmer as a teenager, that was before the accident and a long recovery where she did a lot of thinking and planning.

“I like winning, I’m very competitive,” Konkoly said. “So I wanted an outlet for that.”

She decided to join the Paralympics and qualified for the 2016 games in Rio.

“It was amazing,” she said. “When I touched the wall after my first race was the 100 free, I broke a world record.”

She won four medals, two of them gold.

“My most vivid memory is looking across the pool and seeing the American flag,” Konkoly said.

Back on American soil, this dynamo decided to get her medical degree and is now a resident at Magee where she’s an inspiration to patients.

“She knows how to go through the trials and tribulations and knows that it’s indeed a marathon,” Dr. Guy Fried said.

The 32-year-old is now sharing life lessons about overcoming challenges. She said if you try reaching for the stars, sometimes with hard work, you can grab one.

When the Paralympics start at the end of August, Konkoly will be doing commentary on the swimmers, something she loves.

“If you really want something and you really, really want it and you put your mind to it, the sky is the limit, and don’t limit yourself to what you think is possible,” she said.