Tennessee Nonprofit Provides Running Blades – Amputee Blade Runners Organization – runnersworld.com

Buying a prosthesis isn’t cheap. That price doubles if you need a second one, or is slightly more if you want a running blade.

For a below the knee amputee, a single running blade can cost nearly $3,500. Go above the knee—requiring a knee socket—that cost goes up to $8,000 to $9,000. And if you’re a family with a child who seeks a prosthesis, those costs become almost annual as you regularly have to re-fit and re-size as the kid grows.

This makes access to an active lifestyle a challenge during the developmental years. It also challenges adults who face amputations from being able to play sports or do something as simple as walk through a grocery store parking lot.

That independence is treasured for anyone, so a nonprofit in Nashville known as (ABR) is working to remedy that for amputees of all ages and interests around the country.

“People reach out from all over the country, and we typically try to help around 100 people a year,” Joshua Southards, executive director of Amputee Blade Runners, told Runner’s World. “It’s not just about fitting and setting people up with prosthetics; it’s about empowerment. We show them how to use it and how to advocate for themselves.”

The group was created in 2011 by two guys who are now specialists with prosthetics: Aaron Fitzsimmons and Ryan Fann, a single-leg amputee who grew up with a running blade. Without the assistance and support from others who helped him and others competing with running blades, they believe life would’ve been drastically different.

Even as a world-class athlete competing on international stages, including taking track gold and bronze at the Paralympics, Fann said people often tried to take pity on him and didn’t see him as an athlete. Often, it is that mindset that prevents amputees from even getting a chance to compete in a sport they dream of participating in.

So, Fann and Fitzsimmons set up a nonprofit that helps people who need prosthetics by fitting, teaching how to use, and giving prosthetics to people who might not be able to afford them.

“I’m not an amputee, but I’m constantly in awe of what people can do,” Southard said. “That’s why we want to do anything we can to help people be the best that they can be and help them get to where they never thought they could be.”

That’s what drew Southard to the nonprofit. He was first introduced to ABR when he worked at a vascular surgery group that performed amputations in Nashville. Then, he did a Ragnar Relay with Fann and a few other amputees and became sold on the program.

“We had about 10 human feet on our team,” he said. “People ask me if running with a blade is an advantage. Heck no. You’re missing bones and muscles you no longer have and replace that with a piece of carbon fiber.”

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Anyone in need of a prosthesis, whether that’s a running blade for track and other sports or a prosthesis for more stability or a foot for basketball, is able to apply for one through ABR. It doesn’t have to be for athletic purposes, but they most often handle athletes like runners to basketball players who compete at amateur and even Paralympic levels.

Once accepted, you are asked to come into Nashville for about a week to be fitted and test out what you might want to do with your prosthesis. Also, thanks to partnerships with a Nike store that closed and donated the shoes to ABR, and the local Fleet Feet store, recipients also receive a single shoe without having to pay for both—a single-leg amputee only needs one.

Because kids often come in and grow out of their prosthetics, they offer continual support and assistance as they get older or need maintenance.

“We do a heck of a lot to get people the running blades they need,” Southard said. “Luckily, we have some help from places like Fleet Feet, who said to send our people over to them, and they would determine the best shoe a person needs for whatever they were tying to accomplish. They’d give them the shoe and maybe a pair of socks, too.”

Despite working with amputees around the country, most funding for ABR comes from the Nashville area. Southard does his best to bring in additional funding from various grant programs and also asks for fundraising from applicants, but he hopes to grow the organization more nationally and continue to change lives all over the nation.

“We recently worked with a girl whose parents never thought she’d be able to run,” Southard said. “When she got a prosthesis through us, she did cross country, and it also gave her the confidence to join the debate team. It’s not just about mobility. It’s investing in the whole person.”

Gear & News Editor Drew covers a variety of subjects for Runner’s World and Bicycling, and he specializes in writing and editing human interest pieces while also covering health, wellness, gear, and fitness for the brand.