The 17-year-old from Prosper, Texas, severely injured her spinal cord on September 20 while practicing for homecoming. She was tumbling at the time—a move the can involve flipping, twisting, rolling and jumping.
The teenager was hospitalized for almost two months after she was injured, spending weeks in ICU followed by physical therapy.
Since the accident, over $203,000 has been raised for her on GoFundMe.
On Wednesday, she recalled the moment she was paralzed after she landed on her neck in an interview with Fox 4. “I knew instantly that I was paralyzed. I just kind of hit the ground, and it was just kind of a tingling sensation through my whole body. And I just couldn’t feel anything below my neck,” she said.
Noble currently has physical therapy three times a week, and has been making unexpected progress, Fox 4 reported. In a recent session, she was able to roll over on her own after her third attempt, in what can take weeks to achieve.
“They told me you’re never going to walk again. You’re not going to be able to do this, you’re not going to be able to do that… I’ve just kind of always had the mindset you can’t tell me what I can and cant do.”
She said: “I don’t like being told I can’t do something because I’m like, I’m going to prove you wrong. I’m going to do it. I’m going to do it better than you think I can do it.”
Jenn Noble, her mother, told the broadcaster of her daughter’s progress: “It’s like, ‘Oh my gosh! You can sit up with support!’ Or like yesterday, ‘You can roll over!’ Honestly, I’m more proud of her now accomplishing those things than I was when she was a baby and accomplished them.”
The teenager—who has 137,000 Instagram followers—and her family use social media to keep supporters updated on her progress.
In a Facebook post on Thursday, the family shared photos of a benefit for the cheerleader at a Kendra Scott store.
“You all showed up with your support in such a big way! It was such a success they said it was busier than their Black Friday sale!” the family wrote on Facebook.
The teenager hopes to be able to return to school soon, and finish her senior year before going to college.