Terry Chase

A hit-and-run left her with a broken back and a crumpled bike. It did not leave her broken.

Dr. Terry Chase, ND, MA, RN is the author of Spoke by Spoke: How a Broken Back and a Broken Bike Led to a WholeHearted Life, an unflinching memoir that refuses to skip the darkest parts on the way to hope. For more than thirty years, Terry has lived fully with a spinal cord injury, kayaking, cross-country skiing, hand-cycling, and riding whenever she can, proof that resilience is not a metaphor for her. It is a daily practice.

Her authority runs deep. Three graduate degrees, a Doctorate of Nursing, a Master's in Exercise Science, and a Master's in Spiritual Psychology, built a career at the intersection of healthcare, education, and human resilience, including leadership at Craig Hospital in Denver and a faculty appointment at Colorado Mesa University. As a professional speaker and coach, she has spent decades helping others find effective, honest action in their own lives. She serves on the boards of the Rocky Mountain Health Foundation and the Temple Grandin Equine Center.

Spoke by Spoke Guidebook: Small Steps, Big Shifts for Navigating a WholeHearted Life picks up where the memoir leaves off, turning reflection into action for readers ready to do their own rebuilding.

If you have ever faced a detour you did not choose and wondered how to move forward without pretending it did not happen, Terry's story, and the tools in the Guidebook, were written for exactly that moment. She lives in Western Colorado with her partner, Sharon, still riding, one spoke at a time.