"It literally feels broken all the time," wounded Army veteran Christy Gardner said of her left leg. Gardner cannot walk without a brace on each leg.
Christy Gardner wears a brace on each leg below her knees. She puts the braces on each morning before getting out of bed and takes them off each night.
Christy Gardner has been disabled for nearly nine years. A lift to get her upstairs in her Lewiston home was recently installed. Before the lift, Gardner crawled up the stairs on her knees.
Christy Gardner gives attention to Rella while coaching the Central Maine Community College women's lacrosse team at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee parking lot in Lewiston. Rella, a service dog in training, is staying with Gardner for part of her training.
Christy Gardner gives attention to Darby, left, and Rella at her home in Lewiston. Gardner brought Darby home with her from work at Varney's Labs in Turner. Rella is staying with Gardner while in training to be a service dog.
Christy Gardner, second from left, runs drills with the Central Maine Community College lacrosse team in the parking lot of the Androscoggin Bank Colisee in Lewiston. Gardner coaches the team that includes Emily Butterfield, left, Danielle Allen and Lacey Landry. While Gardner can catch and throw the ball from where she stands, she can't run.
Christy Gardner leads a sled hockey practice with her service dog, Moxie, at the Bank of Maine Ice Vault in Augusta. Gardner is a disabled army veteran who plays on a national level sled hockey team, the USA Warriors.
Christy Gardner and her service dog, Moxie, do laps at the Bank of Maine Ice Vault in Augusta during sled hockey practice for disabled veterans.
Christy Gardner at gets ready to go on the ice for sled hockey practice.
Lewiston-Auburn 
