The splash of water when the starting gun goes off. The spin of bicycle gears. The slap of shoes on pavement and shouts of encouragement from the sidelines. 

For Austin triathlete Laurie Allen, the sounds of triathlon have ended, for now. 

They disappeared Feb. 27, 2015, when she was soaking in a hot tub with friends and got out to cool off. She slipped on ice and fell backward 10 feet, fracturing two vertebrae and crushing her spinal cord.  

A body used to perpetual motion suddenly couldn’t move.

Then she transferred to St. David’s Rehabilitation Hospital, where she dove into the most important endurance event she has ever faced.