The authors of a book of essays about people living with physical disability will be joined by a Paralympic medalist for a reading and discussion at Oregon State University – Cascades on Jan. 23.

Lily Collison and Kara Buckley, the authors of “Pure Grit,” will be joined by Kelly Crowley, a medalist in both swimming and cycling at the Paralympic Games, an international competition for athletes with a range of disabilities. She is an advocate for disability-inclusion.

The event will take place in Tykeson Hall, Rm 111. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. for light refreshments and the presentation will begin at 5:50 p.m. The event is free to the public although registration is requested.

The subjects of “Pure Grit” range in age, experiences and professions. Among them are a former Major League Baseball pitcher born without a right hand; a digital designer who has muscular dystrophy; and a career diplomat with hemiplegia.

The authors will be available to sign books after the discussion. Books are available for purchase at major online bookstores. Proceeds from sales go to physical disability research at the Gillette Children’s Hospital.

Collison is program director at Gillette Children’s Healthcare Press. Her youngest son was diagnosed with spastic diplegia, a form of cerebral palsy at age one. To learn more about spastic diplegia, she completed a research master’s degree at University College Dublin, evaluating the outcome of a treatment for the condition. She is also the author of “Spastic Diplegia –Bilateral Cerebral Palsy,” a guide to help families understand and navigate the condition. She is a member of the board of directors of the Cerebral Palsy Foundation.

Buckley, who lives in Bend, spent 17 years in sports marketing, including as a senior advisor to the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee and as a director of global marketing with Visa. She has also worked with Riot Games, Division Street and the LA28 Organizing Committee. She is a member of the board of directors of the Cerebral Palsy Foundation.

To register for the discussion and reading, visit https://beav.es/q8g.

For questions or for accommodations, contact events@osucascades.edu or 541-322-3100.

About OSU-Cascades: Oregon State University’s campus in Bend brings higher education to Central Oregon, the fastest growing region in the state. Surrounded by mountains, forest and high desert, OSU-Cascades is a highly innovative campus of a top-tier land grant research university, offering small classes that accelerate faculty-student mentoring and experiential learning. Degree programs meet industry and economic needs in areas such as innovation and entrepreneurship, natural ecosystems, health and wellness, and arts and sciences, and prepare students for tomorrow’s challenges. OSU-Cascades is expanding to serve 3,000 to 5,000 students, building a 128-acre campus with net-zero goals.