Sarah Panzau has endured 40 surgeries since deciding to drive drunk. She will speak at Southwestern College on Friday, Feb. 12, from 6-7 p.m. The presentation will be in Mossman Hall, room 101. There is no admission charge. Her message will include underage drinking, drunk driving, making smart choices, respecting parents, and rising above disabilities.

Panzau was a focused and determined student-athlete. She was a two-time member of the National Junior College Athletic Association woman’s volleyball All-American team. Somewhere between life as a competitively driven high school athlete and the early years of college, she began heading down a dangerous path.

Drugs and alcohol became more important than school and sports. On Aug. 23, 2003, with a blood-alcohol level nearly four times the legal limit, the 21-year old Panzau decided to drive home. On the way she missed a highway exit and rolled her car four times. She was ejected through the rear window of her car, her left arm was torn away from her body, and she was thrown onto the roadway.

Panzau has survived and is sharing her story.

“I am here to tell my story,” Panzau says. “It was a miracle that I survived the accident. I was out with my friends (the people I thought really cared about me). These so-called friends let me get into my car with a blood alcohol level of 0.308. That is almost four-times the legal limit in the state of Illinois. Prior to my accident, I only lived for today. I lived like I would never die. I had turned my back on my family and I had very little purpose in life. I had quit school, and gave up a full-ride volleyball scholarship. A two-time all-American volleyball player to bartender. I had no direction in life.”

Her message is about determination and perseverance. Despite the crash and her loss of an arm, Panzau was able to represent her country by playing volleyball on the USA Women’s Sitting Volleyball Team. She toured internationally until injuries resulting from her now compromised health ultimately caught up with her and forced her to give up the sport she loves.

“My life has totally changed and I have started public speaking to teens and young adults about drinking and driving, making good decisions, what is important in life and the importance of parents and family,” Panzau says. “It is a presentation of courage, determination, and the celebration that emphasizes making the right choices in life. If my message can affect just one person, I will have considered my life a success.”

For more information about the presentation, contact Sarah Hallinan at (620) 229-6392.