"Spike makes me feel like I can run" - Spike ambassador USA
Say hello to Robynne Hill, the first Spike ambassador in the USA. Robynne plays parahockey and has been on Team USA hockey since she was 17. With a competitive mindset and a love for sports her dream is to compete at the Paralympic level.
Robynne is competitive to the bone and has always been up for a challenge. She has Cerebral Palsy and Juvenile Degenerative Disc Disease, but this has never stopped her from chasing her dreams. She’s determined, positive and ambitious which has certainly paid off in her rising career within parasport.
Winning gold with Team USA Para Ice Hockey
Robynne became part of the USA Women’s Para Ice Hockey team at an age of 17 and has remained on the team ever since. During her time on Team USA, she has been part of winning the very first IPC World Cup gold medal. Later on, she also managed to win her second gold medal just one year after receiving spinal fusion surgery. Now that is impressive!
Alongside being on the national team she’s also the captain of Colorado Avalanche Sled Hockey team and assists the upcoming talents in the youth team.
Winning gold with Team USA! Photo credit: Women's Para Ice Hockey World Cup 2018
Once a fan of sports, always a fan of sports
Robynne has always been an active person, and at an age of 3 she started off with t-ball and soccer. She’s also been practicing karate, shot put and discus. Due to her physical disability and the resulting pain, she discovered adaptive sports at the age of 15.
My mother teaches students with disabilities and she was working on a project with a student who loved sports. They happened to come across sledge hockey in their research and my mom realized this would be a fantastic sport for me to try out because I wouldn't have to be standing and I could be competitive. It only took one time on the ice for me to be hooked.
In addition to sledge hockey, Robynne discovered wheelchair basketball, handcycling, nordic skiing and adaptive shot put.
Robynne Hill for Team USA in a sledge hockey match. Photo credit: Kyle Carter / Richland High School /2018
Discovering Spike
Robynne’s fascination with adaptive sports led her to discover Spike and reach out to Exero back in 2019, before Spike was even available in the United States! Robynne finally received her Spike in December 2020 becoming the first American to do so.
Spike enables me to work out on multiple different trails that I couldn't do previously with my other adapted equipment. It allows me to cross train for hockey perfectly because I can do dry land training year round. Spike is great for strengthening my upper body and core muscles, as well as working on improving my endurance.
Robynne uses Spike 2-3 times a week on both dirt trails and paved trails around her neighborhood.
What I like the most about Spike is that it makes me feel like I can run, which I am not able to do, which is such a freeing feeling. I like that I have a dry land training opportunity that gives me such a fabulous workout, which benefits any of my athletic goals.
Robynne taking Spike for a ride in Colorado. Photo credit: Ethan White
The importance of physical activity
For Robynne, keeping her body active not only brings along physical benefits but also some great side effects too.
Exercising and physical activity are important to me as it gives me an outlet to deal with anxiety and frustration. I definitely benefit from the good feeling exercise gives me when I complete a workout.
She also finds different options for exercise important.
It is very important to have different options. With multiple options, I can work different muscle groups, I never get bored, and it gives me the ability to go different places.
Big dreams
With a great competitive mindset and a love of sports she is dreaming big. And on our question of what her next big goal she did not hold back.
To get to the Paralympics, whether it is para hockey, Nordic skiing or shot put.