Kunes Car Convos: Quintessa Simonson, Para Athlete and Ehlers-Danlos Warrior

• [2:08] Quintessa shares her medical journey
• [4:20] A raw and honest moment
• [10:07] Breaking down the gear behind wheelchair racing

Some conversations stay with you long after the drive is over. This is one of them.

In the latest episode of Kunes Car Convos, Jesse Jaramillo climbed behind the wheel of a 2025 Toyota Sienna, one of Kunes Auto Group's many mobility vehicles, and sat down with Quintessa Simonson, a mom, wife, and para athlete training for her first half marathon in a racing wheelchair. What followed was one of the most honest, moving, and genuinely inspiring conversations we've had on this series.

Ask Quintessa to describe herself and she'll give you the most grounded answer imaginable: "I'm a mom and a wife. I'm a para athlete in wheelchair racing — and other than that, I'm just like everybody else, really."

That humility is real. But so is her story.

Quintessa was 14 years old when she was first diagnosed with scoliosis. In the years that followed, chronic pain became a constant companion through high school. At an age when kids can be cruel, she was also navigating bullying, time in and out of wheelchairs, and periods of being bedridden entirely.

In 2018, she began experiencing seizures caused by dysautonomia, a condition where the body's fight-or-flight responses misfire, triggering a seizure in response to adrenaline.

Then in 2025, while searching for answers after a series of heartbreaking recurrent miscarriages, Quintessa received another diagnosis: Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS). A connective tissue disorder that affects joints, skin, and blood vessels, EDS explained a great deal, but it arrived in the middle of a pregnancy, at a moment that was supposed to be filled with joy.

"You're supposed to be happy," she said quietly. "And then just this major change — it was really tough."

During that pregnancy, her joints began dislocating regularly. Her hip kept giving out. She was eventually diagnosed with hip dysplasia on top of everything else. Her heart conditions, previously in remission, returned. New digestive issues emerged. As she put it: "Everything just feels like it keeps piling on top of each other."

Late December of last year, Quintessa hit her lowest point.

She had a healthy newborn daughter, born in October. She had a loving six-year-old son. She had a supportive husband. And she was still, as she told Jesse without flinching, at a place where she didn't want to be on this earth anymore.

"But my kids need me. My husband would be broken if he lost me. So I knew it really wasn't an option."

What followed wasn't a quiet surrender to grief. It was anger. A decision.

"I was angry that all this was happening. I was supposed to be happy and I wasn't. So I decided to use the change in my life to do something good with it. I wanted to move freely. I wanted to run again. And I think wheelchair racing is the next best thing."

Quintessa began training in January. Nearly every day, she focuses on upper body strength, the engine of wheelchair racing, while also doing physical therapy for her lower body to maintain what she can. She trains at Burlington Boot Camp, where she praised the trainers for their adaptability, their encouragement, and the simple fact that they always make sure she has something to work alongside everyone else, no matter what the session is.

"The more you move, the happier you feel," she said. "Getting strong makes me mentally strong. I have more patience with my kids, more grace with strangers. I'm just able to go with the flow better."

The tough days now look different. Last weekend, her shoulder dislocated during training and wouldn't pop back in, forcing a rest day she didn't want.

She laughed telling that story, which says everything.

For those unfamiliar with wheelchair racing, Quintessa broke it down: you need a specialized three-wheeled racing chair (she hit 25 miles per hour last weekend), a helmet, and a pair of custom racing gloves, padded and built almost like mini boxing gloves, designed to protect your hands and wrists when you're pushing at speed.

She also wears elbow braces, shoulder braces, and compression sleeves to protect joints that EDS makes vulnerable to dislocation.

And then there's the recovery side: heating pads, cooling pads, lidocaine patches, and the daily medication that makes it possible to get back out there the next day.

Right now, Quintessa is racing on a borrowed chair. Last weekend, the tire blew off the rim right after she crossed the finish line.

"I'm just happy it didn't happen in the middle of the race," she laughed.
That finish line, by the way? She crossed it in under 30 minutes for the 5K. Her first race took 38 minutes. The improvement moved her to tears.

She needs to raise funds for a racing wheelchair of her own, one that can keep up with her.

When Jesse asked what she'd say to someone at a low point right now, Quintessa didn't reach for platitudes. She thought about something that came to her while she was gardening.

"God needs to repot his flowers. If you have all your flowers in one small pot, you get root rot, your leaves die, your flowers won't grow. When he breaks us up and moves us through a hard part, he's letting our roots grow freely. He's planting a seed so we can be happier, so we can spread joy like pollen — and flourish brighter and more vibrant."

To other moms specifically, her message was direct: "It's important for your kids to be happy, but they will be way more happy if you know who you are outside of the home and you have something that's for you. You can't pour from an empty cup."

Her six-year-old son has started racing alongside her now. He ran his first race last weekend and earned a medal. She's thinking about framing the photos.

Quintessa is racing to be visible, in spaces where people with disabilities are rarely seen, and to show that accommodation and inclusion don't have to be an afterthought. She needs the community behind her to get there.

If you'd like to help fund her racing wheelchair and equipment, you can donate to her GoFundMe

To follow her journey, cheer her on, or reach out directly, find her on Facebook