Tulsa Mother Shot, Told She Wouldn't Walk Again, Now Competing For Team USA Spot

A Tulsa woman is proving that, when something bad happens, you have the choice to shut down or pick yourself up and keep going.

Thirty-one-year-old Gabrielle Platt, a single mom, was shot three times and was in a coma for a month.

When she woke up, she made the choice to keep going.

Gabrielle, or Gabby, as her family and friends call her, is dedicated, determined, and disciplined.

“She’s just a go-getter.  She wants to do something and she just keeps trying and trying,” said her coach, Bradley Forbes.  “If anybody can do it, I think she can.”

Gabby trains six days a week on the basketball court and cycling streets and trails.  Cheering her on is her 13-year-old son Xavier.

“He’s what kept me going,” said Gabby.  “He was my motivation after my accident.”

The shooting happened in April of 2011.  A couple of guys gave her a ride to a gas station at Pine and Cincinnati.

She says, “I remember getting to the store to get some pop and some snacks.”

That’s all she remembers.  Waking up in the hospital, Gabby learned she was shot three times.

“Two of the bullets went through my body and one of the bullets caused the damage to my spinal cord,” she said.

The former high school basketball player, at just 24 years old, learned she would never walk again.

“A good athlete practices til they get it right,” said Forbes.  “But great athletes practice til they can’t get it wrong, and I think that would describe Gabby.”

The tough days, when she didn’t want to get out of bed, soon led to a new-found life at the Center for Individuals with Physical Challenges.

Last year, Gabby placed third in nationals for paracycling.  Next week, she heads to Georgia for a shot a joining team USA.

Gabby needs to place first or second to go to the Paralympics in Tokyo.

As for the man who shot her, Kevin Hicks was just 15 years old at the time and is serving 25 years to life.

Gabby says she never found out why he tried to kill her.