Meet Amy Harris | Executive Director, Achilles Nashville

We had the good fortune of connecting with Amy Harris and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amy, Let’s talk about principles and values – what matters to you most?
With a background in special education and pediatric rehabilitation therapy one of my personal values has always been centered around inclusion of all people, accepting people where they are, and recognizing that everyone has their own strengths, challenges, and abilities. This is a core value of Achilles Nashville and drives our non-profit. Achilles operates to serve people of all abilities and to help people achieve their individual goals related to sports, particularly running/ walking/ or rolling (e.g. wheelchair, hand-cycle). Our non-profit welcomes everyone, diversity is valued, and we all learn from one another just what is possible. Achilles has been a perfect fit for me personally and professionally as it combines my love for working with people with disabilities and my passion for running/ walking.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
Achilles Nashville is a unique organization. It is part of a larger non-profit (Achilles International) that has over 60 chapters worldwide. I think what sets the Achilles organization apart is our focus on serving athletes with disabilities. Many people with disabilities don’t get physical activity. It is our goal to change that and to provide mainstream activities that include people of all abilities as well as to provide more opportunities for social connections. It is exciting to me to see our athlete develop and achieve goals. We break down the barriers for our athletes to cross the finish line of races, whether running, walking, or rolling. In doing so, we bring more awareness into the communities where these athletes live by showing what is possible. My professional career always focused on inclusion, serving people with disabilities, educating new professionals (e.g. therapists, teachers) on best practices working with people of varying abilities. In my personal life I raised a daughter with spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy and know firsthand the roadblocks, challenges that can be associated with that. I learned to work within the systems to make change where change was needed and to help create accepting, welcoming environments for her and others. It really does take a village and just trying to understand others perspectives and learn where barriers existed and find ways to break them down took time and patience. Realizing that you are not alone and do not have to walk the walk alone was an important lesson for me, learn from others who walked before me, accept the help of those who walk beside me, and give back to others who are following in your footsteps in their own lives. It has been a personal goal of mine wherever I have worked to create accepting, warm, welcoming environments for all.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This is a hard question! There are so many places I love and so many places to go, see, and things to do. I’m a pretty down home kind of girl and have recently moved from the middle of Green Hills (Nashville) out to the country where I now have lots of land and look forward to having a few horses in the not too distant future so being home and enjoying life in the country is something I would want to share. There is a peace in sitting on the back porch every day and watching anywhere from 1-15 deer eating at the feeder out by the woods behind my house. The sunsets are beyond beautiful and I am grateful to be out of the city to see all the magnificent colors. Watching the horses and donkeys on the properties beside me from my front porch is something I would love to share. And then with more time to spend, a trip to Tybee Island never disappoints. My parents lived in Savannah, GA for 30 years in retirement so we spent a lot of time in the low country and I always loved Tybee Island best of all. So maybe a road trip to warm up and enjoy the beach, the low country food, and run on some nice flat road!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Wow! Yes, there are so many people behind the success of our non-profit and who have supported me along the way. For me personally family has always been the biggest supporter and has offered me the encouragement to do the best I can in all situations, being respectful and accepting of others point of views as well. My daughters, Skye, Lizzy, and Minna always lift me up and believe in me, and then my six young grandsons always give me reason to be the best version of me I can be! I always want to be a good example for them as they are young and impressionable. I have worked with strong professionals throughout my career and strong women leaders. My brothers are both successful in their business careers and have always served as a good role model for me. My parents were hard working individuals who never took over the spotlight, rather building up those around them and giving credit where it was due. In my role at Achilles as the Director, the athletes and guides inspire me. The athletes, including my own daughter who has cerebral palsy, all have challenges in the form of a disability (e.g., blindness, autism) and yet live life to the fullest and do not let the disability get in the way of their goals and dreams. The guides, who volunteer their time so freely to assist the athletes achieve their goals, impress me. Many of these guides are young professionals, many have young children, families of their own, and they still show up every week with eager enthusiasm to help others and share their time and talents. Our community is strong as a result and I am grateful to shoutout their praises and grateful to be a small part of this amazing organization.

Website: achillesnashville.org

Instagram: @achillesnashville

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AchillesInternationalNashville

Image Credits
Photo compliments of Achilles Nashville