Alyssa Czekai finds her escape from reality on horseback.
"Kind of made my life a lot better and made me a lot happier," Czekai said. "It made me just feel better."
Much-needed therapy for an 11-year-old who's been through a lot. Czekai has Chiari Malformation, a condition in which brain tissue extends into the spinal canal. It causes extreme headaches, dizziness and nausea and it kept Czekai in and out of the hospital her entire life.
"It's been a roller coaster ride for sure," Czekai's mother, Shanna Bodine said. "She got dealt a tough deck of cards, but she always comes out on top and she has honestly never given up."
That's evident now. Czekai is back in the saddle and she's turned that therapeutic hobby into fierce competition. The Honesdale-native is now barrel racing and she's so good at it, she recently qualified for one of the biggest rodeos in the country: the Junior World Finals.
"It means a lot and I think it's going to be really fun and something different to do instead of just showing around here," Czekai said.
"It's an amazing event for her to be able to go to and it's a huge accomplishment at the age of eleven," her mother added. "I think it's beyond amazing for her and so very deserving for her."
Czekai competes with Dancer. This 17-year-old mare is the same horse her mother used to ride. So after everything Czekai has been through, this horse has been there every step of the way."
"I guess kind of when I started riding her, we had a great bond," Czekai said.
"She definitely holds a lot of sentimental value to us," Bodine said. "The fact that my daughter's on her running her and making it all the way to Vegas on her is pretty awesome."
It's understandably emotional for Bodine and her daughter. She's come a long way.
"It's unbelievable," Bodine, a single mother, said. "It's surreal to both of us to be honest with you. To just be doing what we're doing and able to get down the road and go to shows and enjoy it and do as well as she is."
"So much has changed," Czekai admitted. "It's an exciting time and since I have gone so far, it's a good feeling."
A good feeling, for someone who deserves one. The Junior World Finals are this December in Las Vegas.