Michelle was injured while hiking at West Fork in Oak Creek Canyon near Sedona, Arizona, when she slipped on a wet rock and twisted her ankle. Initially believing it was a minor injury, she continued hiking through the weekend, but later discovered severe tears in several ankle tendons and underwent nine surgeries over the next two years without resolving the issue. She ultimately underwent a left below-knee amputation in March 2023 and has since required four revision surgeries to address neuromas, bone deterioration, and targeted muscle reinnervationm, with another surgery planned to remove an additional neuroma.