To purchase a bracelet or make a donation to Shelby, visit the link below.

 

On February 23, 2020, a snowboarding accident during a weekend trip to the mountains of Nevada changed Shelby Estocado’s life forever.

The two-time Women’s National Team alum suffered a broken sternum and a T6 spinal cord injury that paralyzed her from the abdomen down. After a week of surgeries, recovery, terrible meatloaf and beginning to grasp her new normal, she was flown to Craig Hospital in Englewood, Colorado, to start her rehabilitation journey.

She spent six weeks at Craig – which is world-renowned for its spinal cord rehabilitation work – learning, getting stronger and staying positive through it all as she made huge strides towards getting some sensation back in her legs.

“Laughter, joy, jokes every day – there’s never a dull moment. It may be tough times but I’m always laughing and trying to find good times every day,” Shelby said in her video blog after her second week of rehab.

Shelby’s first experience with USA Baseball came in 2016, while still a member of the University of Tulsa softball team. In four years with the Hurricanes, she appeared in 226 games and finished her career ranked in the top ten in program history in home runs (30), RBIs (130) and total bases (328).

But after her sophomore campaign at Tulsa, during which she was named a first-team American Athletic Conference selection, she returned to the game of baseball. Her athleticism, passion and competitiveness immediately made her stand out at the USA Baseball Women’s National Open and the Women’s National Team Trials and in her first time playing the sport, she earned a spot on Team USA.

She traveled to Gijang, South Korea, to participate with the U.S. in the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) Women’s Baseball World Cup and made a strong showing in the squad’s seven games. Finishing the tournament with a .444 batting average, five runs scored, two RBIs, and lifelong friendships, Shelby – or “Esto” as her teammates dubbed her – quickly found her place within the Women’s National Team family.

Since then, she has remained close with that family and has rejoined the Women’s National Team program twice. Shelby participated in the 2017 Women’s National Team Development Program to continue improving her baseball skills and was then named to the 2018 Women’s National Team that competed at the 2018 WBSC Women’s Baseball World Cup. Her smile, energy and endless positivity have become a cornerstone of the Women’s National Team program as she represents the red, white and blue on the international stage.

Fast-forward to 2020 and Shelby’s strength as an athlete and a competitor continues to shine as she fearlessly meets these new challenges with her contagious, ever-present smile and positive attitude. And her USA Baseball family is more than ready to rally around her and have her back.

Friends she played with on Team USA have surprised her in the hospital and group Zoom calls with all of her past teammates have been organized during her recovery. But now, her Women’s National Team family and USA Baseball are taking it a step further, starting the “We’ve Got Your Back” campaign in order to raise funds through the sale of “Esto” bracelets to aid in Shelby’s recovery and medical expenses.

The bracelets will be worn on-field by the Women’s National Team, but anyone can show their support by purchasing their own bracelets here or donating here. People can also check out the beginning of Shelby’s journey on her blog.

Stay positive and keep smiling, Esto, because we’ve all got your back.