By Andriana Simos.
Determined, committed and outgoing. Three words Brisbane teenager, Mackenziee Lawler, uses to describe herself when we sit down for our chat. It’s not surprising she has these qualities when you hear about the gruelling challenge she’s set for herself.
Mackenziee wants to walk the red carpet at her upcoming Year 12 formal in a pair of high heels. But for someone with cerebral palsy, that’s a major task.
However, it’s one she’s had her eye on accomplishing ever since the age of eight, when she spotted a pair of heels in a shop window.
“I always wanted to be a ballerina, figure skater or a gymnast but after my first round of surgeries, it did not seem logical,” Mackenziee explains.
“But I remember one day when I was eight, I saw a beautiful pair of heels while looking through the windows of a shoe store. From then on, I decided… I would not only walk but walk in a pair of high heels at my formal. I couldn’t think of a better time to do it, so I went for it and never looked back.”
Now 17, Mackenziee’s journey to success hasn’t been all smooth sailing. She has undergone dozens of procedures to manage her cerebral palsy, including 11 major orthopaedic surgeries, 30 rounds of medical Botox injections to loosen her muscles, and years of intensive physiotherapy.
But even with all this draining treatment, Mackenziee says what hurt her the most was the news her formal, which was originally scheduled for May 1, had been postponed to September 2 due to the coronavirus crisis.
“I felt very devastated after hearing about the postponement. It took me a few days to come to terms with it. After all, it was the day I had been preparing for, for over ten years,” she says.
However, the teenager goes on to say she’s trying to remain positive as she sets her sights on the new date instead.
“Looking back now, I am so thankful for the extra time to practice and prepare my body for the heels, as I was not fully confident yet. In the end, what seemed to be a huge negative turned out to be a positive,” she stresses.
“I have chosen what heels I will be wearing and I have my dress already tailored. It is a total princess dress with lots of “poof” and sparkles. Why not? Go big or go home I reckon.”
And in typical Mackenziee fashion, that’s exactly what she intends to do. Over the next four months, she plans to step up her physiotherapy training and rehab – all with the help of her family and ‘superhero’ physio of course.
“I have physio once a week for an hour. When the day of the formal is near, we will go into a week-long intensive block where I will have two sessions a day for a week. There’s a lot involved but I know all of it will be worth it,” Mackenziee says.
“My physio Tim, who I have known and been together with for 10 years, has always been so supportive of my dream to walk in high heels and has never doubted I would not chase after it.
“So much so he has a pair of custom high heels in the making for size 13 feet, so he can show me how to walk in heels and we can walk in them together.”
A team effort that will see Mackenziee achieve her goal of walking in heels once and for all.
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