Rachel was diagnosed with Ewings Sarcoma (a rare bone cancer) in February 2022. She endured 10 months of intense chemotherapy, 30 rounds of proton radiation and an above-the-knee amputation. She has been disease free for one year. Since becoming an amputee, she has been looking for opportunities to stay active and meet other amputees. She enjoys physical therapy at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, wheelchair basketball with the Ryan Martin Foundation, skiing with Summitt Adaptive Sports at Sundown and Camp No Limits. Rachel is a patient at Hanger Clinic in Wethersfield, Connecticut and loves her prosthetist Steve Charry who is flexible, knowledgeable, caring, and kind. Rachel hopes to one day have a special prosthetic device that will enable her to run again and play with her friends in gym class and recess.

Katie was diagnosed with Ewing’s Sarcoma (a rare bone cancer) in 2013 and underwent a right transtibial amputation to remove the tumor. While her first prosthesis was adequate for day-to-day activities, it was clear after a few months of playing basketball and softball this prosthesis was not appropriate for high-level impact. Despite the problems with the prosthesis, she was denied access to a higher-level foot. Katie did not stop playing sports, and as a result severely injured the bottom of her residual limb. Unfortunately, this injury progressed to the point that revision surgery was required. Only after this injury did Katie get a higher functioning foot for her prosthesis. Katie could then continue playing softball and basketball and learned to play new sports, such as volleyball. She is now pursuing her master’s degree in orthotics and prosthetics at the University of Hartford MSPO Class of 2024.

Tara is an active bilateral, below-knee amputee. She’s also a mom to teenage young men and a pediatric occupational therapist. Since becoming an amputee, Tara has participated in many 5k’s, the first of which was only 11 months after her first amputation. Tara completed her first triathlon in September 2023 and is excited to receive a recumbent bike from the Challenge Athletes Foundation. She will also be the lucky recipient of a pair of running blades in the very near future thanks to a generous grant program through Ossur. Without these organizations, Tara would not have discovered her new title as an adaptive athlete.

Chris is an active 62-year-old below-knee amputee. For the past eight years he has not only thrived as an amputee by returning to full-time work, but also remained relevant, influential, and physically active in both his community and personal life. Like many amputees, he engages in physical activities beyond work, including running, hiking, long-distance bicycling, and rowing. Specifically for Chris, rowing necessitates the use of an activity-specific prosthesis.

When Herb learned he was losing his leg to cancer, he was busy running his business, which was helping small business owners with computer and network needs. Not a desk job, Herb had to travel to his clients, crawl under desks, pull cables and physically set up new computer systems. Fitted with a microprocessor leg, he was able to return to work. Herb remained active by maintaining himself with workouts at a local gym and participated in many adaptive sports activities. Bike riding was something Herb always loved. With modified pedals, he was able to safely ride again while using his unmodified walking leg. Although some amputees require more than one prosthesis to restore a full array of activities, Herb was fortunate enough to remain physically active with his primary prosthesis. Herb understands prosthetic care is not one-size-fits-all and even though he does not need a specialized prosthesis for physical activity, he is committed to advocating for those who need it. 

Before losing her left leg due to trauma in 2008, Brenda was an active outdoorswoman, mountain biker, rock climber, and downhill skier in Colorado and Utah. She was able to return to an active life only by paying 100% out-of-pocket for athletic prostheses created for each specific use: surfing, running, and bicycling. Her personal out of pocket cost for these totaled over $30,000. Brenda has been an advocate for those with limb loss/difference since 2008 and helped lead the effort to enact CT’s insurance fairness law in 2018.