Shana Howard - She is An All-Around Athlete

By Terry L. Watson

Photos Provided by Shana Howard

“Don’t see me, see God” This simple yet powerful command comes from someone familiar with believing in the power of faith.

Huntsville, AL, resident Shana Howard is a mother, educator, author, businesswoman, and source of inspiration for others. As a student of life, Shana has channeled her tragedy into triumph and transformed countless lives.

In 1996, as a sophomore in high school, Shana described her younger self as popular, social, and beautiful. That was Shana before being involved in a motor vehicle accident that would change her life drastically.

The collision left Shana in a coma for a year and paralyzed for a total of two years. Journeying to healing included loss of sight, inability to speak, and eating through a feeding tube. “Everything I worshiped was taken away,” she explains. Even more, depression developed when lasting remnants of the collision appeared in the form of vision impairments and hair loss. Shana says others noticed the imperfections, and she found it challenging to fit in with her previous crowd. She adds the burden of her new circumstances led to loneliness, dark thoughts, and a laden desire to be normal again.

Shana describes the excitement as she began to regain mobility after undergoing a procedure to correct some of her vision impairments. “I began to realize normality is fluid and not definite,” she said. To help Shana regain a sense of normalcy, she was prescribed an array of treatments, such as physical therapy, counseling, and medications.

As her condition improved, Shana wanted to do more. Soon, she had the desire to attend school. However, her neurologist disagreed and informed her parents that her memory would not sustain her academic aspirations due to her traumatic brain injury. Unsatisfied with the limitations placed upon her by man, Shana put her trust in God and enrolled in Lawson State Community College and received an Associate of the Arts Degree in 2001.

“I have to talk, and I’malways working for God. I’monly tired when I’m leaningon my own strength.”

Shana was able to supersede the limitations placed on her. She obtained her Bachelor of Science Degree in Physical Education from Alabama A&M University in 2005, Masters of the Arts in Physical Education from Alabama A&M University in 2010, and an additional Master’s Degree in Leadership in 2018 from Alabama A&M University. “I began to realize my life is my testimony.,” she says.

Although the physicians and clinicians diagnosed Shana with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), she has reimagined and redefined TBI to “Testimony Beyond Imagination”. “I have to talk, and I’m always working for God. I’m only tired when I’m leaning on my own strength,” she says. Even more, her steadfast belief and faith have inspired others, and she shares her story in her book, Brain-E-Yak Wonders.

Swimming has been therapeutic for Shana. As a kid, she always loved to swim. Her passion has helped her to form a program called All-Around Athlete. In 2019, All-Around Athlete was founded in Huntsville. Shana says she initially set out to give kids something to do during the Covid 19 pandemic, and so she decided to train some young individuals how to swim. Word spread quickly, and the rest of the story is still being told.

“My purpose is to give people an awareness of water. Water is created to give a sense of peace. God created more water than land because it is symbolic of Him,” she says. “I believe everything with a purpose in life is attached to water. Trust water, trust God. Don’t be scared of water if you believe in the man that walked on it.”

As if her plate wasn’t already full, Shana has started a nonprofit organization called Swim With Spice. While targeting the North Huntsville, Madison, and Decatur areas of Alabama, the mission of Swim With Spice is to teach people of all ages to swim. It also invokes encouragement through the rigorous movement of the body. Shana has demonstrated through her organization that conditioning the body through swimming can improve the learning process. “Swimming can improve cognition in three ways. It can enhance the mind by increasing awareness, productivity, and engagement. It is also an activity that stimulates nerve cells in ways that allow them to bind to one another while making way for new information to be stored. Lastly, swimming aids in a child’s development by stimulating growth,” Shana says.

Shana has decided to use her testimony and life experiences to inspire and uplift others. In the future, she hopes to continue uplifting through her vocations as an educator, coach, and motivational speaker. To learn more about Shana and her programs, please visit her website.