Jeff Galloway, Running Until You’re 100
I am a below-knee amputee, as the result of a lawn mower accident that occurred just before my second birthday.
For years, I sat on the sidelines and watched my husband run in the AJC Peachtree Road Race 10K in Atlanta, GA. I wanted to run so badly, but didn’t think I had the mobility to do so as an amputee.
In March 2003, advancements in prosthetics and sheer determination allowed me to start running. Today, I have completed over 75 races from 5Ks to ultra marathons (50K). I am only the third female leg amputee in the 109-year history of the Boston Marathon to run and finish and I am the only female amputee to complete Boston more than once on a prosthetic leg (as of 2009, I have completed 5 consecutive Boston Marathons).
My 17th overall marathon was the Chicago Marathon on October 11th, 2009. My goal was to finish in under six hours. Up to Chicago '09, I had run 16 marathons with a personal record of 6:03:53. Six of those marathons, including two 50K ultramarathons and two Boston Marathons, were run on my everyday walking prosthesis, since that was the only prosthetic leg I had at the time.
In April 2006, I was blessed to be introduced to Jim Hughes at Atlanta Prosthetics & Orthotics. Jim agreed to sponsor me with a carbon fiber prosthesis designed especially for running. The curved piece of carbon fiber, in place of a foot, attaches to the back of the socket and provides some energy return with each step on the prosthetic side. It doesn't give the same "bounce" as a human foot, but is much closer than a prosthetic foot made for walking. As a result, I’ve been able to improve my speed and endurance, thanks to AP&O's sponsorship, generosity, and faith in me.
Because carbon fiber doesn’t provide any traction, we slice off the tread from one of my running shoes and glue it to the bottom of the carbon fiber "foot". When the tread on the running foot wears down (the same as a shoe), Will Holbrook at AP&O has been the expert to "re-tread" my running foot. He knows the precise thickness each side should be and the optimum placement before gluing it down.
Thanks to AP&O, along with my dedication to training, I finished the 2009 Chicago Marathon in 5:41:23! This was significantly faster than my six-hour goal and exactly 22 ½ minutes faster than my previous marathon best finish time.
I’m not a fast runner, but I have determination, endurance, and the drive to reach for higher goals. Not everyone has the physical ability, or the desire, to run marathons. But, if you push yourself just a little beyond what you think are your limits for those things you do want to do, you’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish in life.