Sitting courtside at a recent Los Angeles Sparks game, Paralympic athlete Laura Goodkind had a smile bright enough to light up the whole Crypto.com Arena.

A devoted Sparks fan, Goodkind was having an unforgettable night that included watching team warmups, meeting players, dancing with the team mascot — and being recognized on the court as a UCLA Health MVP.

And it all started with a poor outcome from a shoulder surgery at another institution.

Diagnosed with cerebral palsy as an infant, Goodkind has been a lifelong athlete.

A Paralympic rowing competitor in Rio in 2016 and Tokyo in 2020, Goodkind was sidelined by a rotator cuff tear that prevented qualification for the Paris Games and threatened to stand in the way of the athlete’s aspirations for 2028.

Goodkind had surgery to repair the injury at another hospital, but the shoulder didn’t heal properly. The surgeon there blamed cerebral palsy for Goodkind’s continuing pain and limited range of motion.

“I’ve never had CP in my shoulder,” the athlete says.

Frustrated by the slow recovery and stiffness that prevented progress with physical therapy, Goodkind wondered how realistic it would be to qualify for LA28. With an immobile right shoulder, those dreams started to fade.

By chance, a lingering hip injury brought Goodkind to UCLA Health and orthopedic surgeon Dr. Sharon Hame. During that appointment, Hame confirmed the athlete’s suspicions: The shoulder hadn’t healed properly, and it had little to do with cerebral palsy and more to do with post-operative recovery.

“I was like, ‘Oh, you believe me?’” Goodkind recalls.

But hip surgery couldn’t be done without a functioning shoulder, because recovery from hip surgery would require using a wheelchair. 

“The shoulder took priority, because that was the one that was most recently taken care of by another institution and another surgeon,” Hame says. “I felt that releasing some of that scar tissue and manipulating the shoulder while (Goodkind) was asleep would allow for more range of motion.”

Hame’s certainty that Goodkind’s shoulder issues were unrelated to cerebral palsy brought the athlete instant relief. “Every time I even think about, ‘Oh, you believe me,’ I just exhale,” Goodkind says. “I so trust her.”

Hame — the team doctor for the Sparks, as well as USA Basketball and UCLA football, men’s tennis, and women’s basketball, volleyball and beach volleyball — also encouraged Goodkind to return to sports as soon as possible after initial recovery.

To rehabilitate the shoulder, one of Hame’s recommendations was for Goodkind to hang from the right arm and improve range of motion.

But where to hang? There were no playgrounds with monkey bars nearby, so Goodkind opted for an indoor climbing gym — one that offered an adaptive-climbing class.

It was there that Goodkind discovered an unexpected aptitude for a new sport.

“Now I do it five times a week at least,” the athlete says. “I feel like I’m better than before, even though I have more limited motion, because I’ve learned other ways to adapt and accommodate for my limitations. It’s just been great because sports have always been a lifesaver for me.”

Goodkind already has plans for how to continue climbing after hip surgery, using a harness that transfers all the effort to the upper body.

Also competitive in wheelchair tennis, Goodkind is mulling over which sport to attempt qualification for LA28.

“It’s a great surprise” that Goodkind discovered another potential sport to compete in at the Paralympics, said Hame, who has also volunteered to provide medical support for adaptive athletes at LA28.

Standing on the court with Hame and fiancé, Jennie Coyne, Goodkind was recognized during the second quarter of the Sparks’ recent game against the New York Liberty.

As images of Goodkind were shown on the center court’s big screen, an announcer lauded the athlete’s “resilience, determination and incredible journey.”

Goodkind was given a souvenir basketball before leaving the floor, then posed for photos with the Sparks Crew dance team and Hame.

The two hugged, knowing they’d see each other again soon: Hame was set to perform Goodkind’s hip surgery later that week.