title: Mia Schaikewitz
text: # Mia Schaikewitz
  
  Mia Schaikewitz (/ˈʃaɪkəwɪts/; born May 23, 1978) is an American TV personality and spokesperson for disability advocacy. She starred in the 2012 reality series Push Girls on the Sundance Channel.
  
  ## Early life and career
  
  A competitive swimmer at the time, Schaikewitz became paralyzed from the waist down "over the course of a half-day" after an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) ruptured in her spinal cord when she was 15. She went on to graduate with a degree from the University of Florida and then moved to Los Angeles where she developed a career in graphic design and branding. In 2012, she decided to return to the sport of competitive swimming after 17 years, as documented in Season 1 of the show Push Girls.
  
  ## Awards and nominations
  
  * In 2013, Push Girls won the Critics' Choice Best Reality Series award.
  