The Spirit of Shalieve
The origin and meaning of Shalieve
Ryan Shazier is no stranger to injuries. Yet he comes back from them more fit, more determined, and an even better player. He’s also a guy who knows the importance of maintaining lifelong friendships. His best friend from high school, Jerome Howard, is also his trainer.
On a trip to the airport before the 2016 season, Shazier, Howard, and Shazier’s wife Michelle were talking about Ryan’s upcoming goals for the football season with the Pittsburgh Steelers
“It was the year before my first Pro Bowl,” says Shazier, “and I told Jerome, ‘Yeah, I wanna make Pro Bowl—I want people to believe—like SHA-lieve in me!”
Michelle takes over, “We all started laughing, and I remember saying, ‘That sounds so cool and so different and so YOU!”
Shalieve became a locker room mantra, a “Steelers shout.”
Shazier crushed his goals, and was selected to the 2016 Pro Bowl.
During the 2017 season, Shazier suffered a spinal cord injury, and #Shalieve became a trending hashtag on Twitter, a sign of support on hats and other merchandise in the Pittsburgh area, and a way to show love and support to Shazier, who was again “Shalieving” in himself through his SCI recovery.
A fun, fabricated word between lifelong friends became the declaration for hope.
So what does Shalieve mean?
It means believing in yourself, even when others harbor doubt.
It means setting, and then crushing your goals.
It means keeping your inner circle close, because they believe—Shalieve—in you.
And it means spreading the spirit of Shalieve to the people you meet.
The Spirit of Shalieve is infectious.
Bringing Innovative Therapy Back Home- Claire Senita
Claire Senita became wheelchair-bound in 8th grade. That didn’t stop her from moving forward with purpose. Claire Senita was 14 years old and was warming up for a tumbling/gymnastics class, laughing along with her 8th grade friends. “It was a recreational class, we were there to have fun,” says Senita. Claire stepped up to the…
Hockey Injury Derails On-Ice Dreams – Kevin Kenny
A routine hit paralyzed Kevin Kenny, yet he knows he can still contribute to the game he loves.
A Resilient, Resourceful Young Man – Tyler King
This 12-year-old did not let an SCI derail him from ambitious goals When you are 12 years old, grounded, and have a brand-new bike, waiting for those restrictions to be lifted can be interminable. But when you live with your grandparents and are intelligently persuasive, getting an early release isn’t all that difficult. “Yeah, it…
An Aerial Athlete Rises Again – Carrie Bach
Talking to Carrie Bach, a 42-year-old spitfire of a woman from the outskirts of Erie, PA, one is struck by her effervescent personality and her “can-do” attitude. She’s a trained ballerina and attended college for dance and business. As all artists do, she worked a day job, and performed as much as she could. One…
Adaptability is Key – Zac Wolfe
No Days Off. In the 10 years since the accident, Zac has found ways to do “pretty much everything I did before the accident happened,” he says with a smile. How a Spinal Cord Injury fostered a business for disabled outdoors people In 2011, Zac Wolfe was a 19-year old, outdoors-loving teen that was eating…