Amy Palmiero-Winters is an amputee ultrarunner who lost part of her left foot in a motorcycle accident. Despite being fitted initially with a basic prosthesis not meant for running, she continued to train and compete in marathons. She now uses a customized carbon-fiber running prosthesis to set world records in distances from 5K to Ironman triathlons. Her accomplishments have inspired both amputees and able-bodied athletes, though some question if her lightweight prosthesis provides an advantage. For her next challenge, Palmiero-Winters will compete in the grueling 100-mile Western States Endurance Run to prove "it can be done" despite facing different obstacles than other
The document summarizes the 2013 season kickoff event for the Illinois Track & Cross Country Coaches Association (ITCCCA). It lists nine individuals inducted into the ITCCCA Hall of Fame Class of 2013 and over 20 corporate sponsors that support the ITCCCA's work in promoting track and cross country coaching across Illinois.
Jack Bray, a 59-year-old gerontologist, teaches race walking classes and provides private lessons. He is ranked number one in the world among male race walkers aged 55-59. While some people laugh at the peculiar gait of race walkers, Bray advocates it as an alternative to running due to its lower impact nature. Now pain-free, he demonstrates how race walking can be both an aerobic exercise and competitive sport for people of all ages.
1) The sport ethic promotes norms like sacrifice, striving for excellence, playing through pain, and endless pursuit of goals and dreams.
2) Overconformity to these norms without limits can lead to deviance like eating disorders, overtraining, injuries, and substance abuse.
3) Athletes may overconform due to low self-esteem, need for acceptance, or belief that sports is their only path to success.
Pole vault is an athletic event where competitors use a long, flexible pole to jump over a horizontal bar. Competitors may begin vaulting at any announced height or pass. Three missed vaults at any height eliminates the vaulter. The winner is the one who clears the greatest height during the final. Tiebreakers are fewest misses at the tied height then overall. If still tied, a jump-off starts at the next greater height.
The female world record holder is Elena Isinbayeva of Russia at 5.06 meters. The men's world record holder is Sergey Bubka of Ukraine who holds the outdoor record of 6.14 meters set in 1994.
The document discusses international sports, American professional sports leagues, the Olympic Games, the structure of the Olympic movement, figure skaters Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding, and the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act.
Lista de los atletas sudamericanos seleccionados para los Juegos Olímpicos de la Juventud 2010.
14 al 26 de agosto en Singapur.
Fuente: Confederaciòn Sudamericana de Atletismo
This document discusses activism within sports and provides examples from US Speedskating. It describes what "within-sport" activism is and discusses issues recently exposed in US Speedskating like abuse of athletes and lack of financial transparency. It provides an example of US Speedskating culture in action regarding a speed skater who was molested. The document contrasts the culture of US Speedskating with the Fundamental Principles of Olympism and discusses the role of activist athletes in speaking truth to power and mechanisms of complaint against national governing bodies.
Athletics is one of the oldest sports, dating back thousands of years to ancient Greece. The sport includes jumping, running, and throwing events divided into categories like pre-junior, junior, cadet, and senior. The Olympic Games are the most prestigious athletics competition, last held in 2008 in Beijing and next coming in 2012 in London. Some famous athletes who compete in athletics events include Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps.
The document summarizes the 2013 season kickoff event for the Illinois Track & Cross Country Coaches Association (ITCCCA). It lists nine individuals inducted into the ITCCCA Hall of Fame Class of 2013 and over 20 corporate sponsors that support the ITCCCA's work in promoting track and cross country coaching across Illinois.
Jack Bray, a 59-year-old gerontologist, teaches race walking classes and provides private lessons. He is ranked number one in the world among male race walkers aged 55-59. While some people laugh at the peculiar gait of race walkers, Bray advocates it as an alternative to running due to its lower impact nature. Now pain-free, he demonstrates how race walking can be both an aerobic exercise and competitive sport for people of all ages.
1) The sport ethic promotes norms like sacrifice, striving for excellence, playing through pain, and endless pursuit of goals and dreams.
2) Overconformity to these norms without limits can lead to deviance like eating disorders, overtraining, injuries, and substance abuse.
3) Athletes may overconform due to low self-esteem, need for acceptance, or belief that sports is their only path to success.
Pole vault is an athletic event where competitors use a long, flexible pole to jump over a horizontal bar. Competitors may begin vaulting at any announced height or pass. Three missed vaults at any height eliminates the vaulter. The winner is the one who clears the greatest height during the final. Tiebreakers are fewest misses at the tied height then overall. If still tied, a jump-off starts at the next greater height.
The female world record holder is Elena Isinbayeva of Russia at 5.06 meters. The men's world record holder is Sergey Bubka of Ukraine who holds the outdoor record of 6.14 meters set in 1994.
The document discusses international sports, American professional sports leagues, the Olympic Games, the structure of the Olympic movement, figure skaters Nancy Kerrigan and Tonya Harding, and the Ted Stevens Olympic and Amateur Sports Act.
Lista de los atletas sudamericanos seleccionados para los Juegos Olímpicos de la Juventud 2010.
14 al 26 de agosto en Singapur.
Fuente: Confederaciòn Sudamericana de Atletismo
This document discusses activism within sports and provides examples from US Speedskating. It describes what "within-sport" activism is and discusses issues recently exposed in US Speedskating like abuse of athletes and lack of financial transparency. It provides an example of US Speedskating culture in action regarding a speed skater who was molested. The document contrasts the culture of US Speedskating with the Fundamental Principles of Olympism and discusses the role of activist athletes in speaking truth to power and mechanisms of complaint against national governing bodies.
Athletics is one of the oldest sports, dating back thousands of years to ancient Greece. The sport includes jumping, running, and throwing events divided into categories like pre-junior, junior, cadet, and senior. The Olympic Games are the most prestigious athletics competition, last held in 2008 in Beijing and next coming in 2012 in London. Some famous athletes who compete in athletics events include Usain Bolt and Michael Phelps.
Declassified: Athletes’ Stories about Disability Identities and the Paralympi...Andrea Bundon
Bundon, A. (2016). Declassified: Athletes’ Stories about Disability Identities and the Paralympic Classification System. The North American Society for the Sociology of Sport 37th Annual Conference, Tampa Bay, Florida, November 3rd, 2016.
The document provides an overview of various track and field athletic events. It describes the different categories of running events including short, middle and long distance races. It also outlines field events such as jumping, throwing and hurdles. Specific events discussed include the 100m, marathon, pole vault, javelin and decathlon. The rules and techniques for performing each event are summarized.
The document provides rules and information about various athletics events. It states that athletes must follow rules like staying in their lane during sprints and not obstructing other athletes. It then describes different event types like sprints, which require speed; middle-distance events from 400m to 1500m which require strength and stamina; long distance events over 3000m which require rhythm and endurance; relays which require teamwork and baton passing skills; long jump which requires flexibility and body control; and shot put which requires power, speed, and strength training. Athletics involves competitive running, jumping and throwing events.
The pole vault is an athletic event where competitors use a flexible pole to help them jump over a crossbar placed at increasing heights. Athletes have three attempts to clear each height before being eliminated if they fail to clear three consecutive heights. The men's world record is held by Sergei Bubka at 6.14 meters, while the women's record holder is Yelena Isinbayeva at 5.06 meters.
The document provides details about the high jump event in track and field. It describes the history and basic rules of the event, including the Fosbury Flop technique used by elite athletes. Key details include the men's and women's world records held by Javier Sotomayor and Stefka Kostadinova. The document also discusses specifications for the runway, crossbar, shoes and different types of landing mats used in high jump competitions.
Honey or Vinegar? Athletes with Disabilities Discuss Strategies for Advocacy ...Andrea Bundon
Bundon, A. (2016). Honey or Vinegar? Athletes with Disabilities Discuss Strategies for Advocacy within the Paralympic Movement. The Canadian Disabilities Studies Association-Association des Études sur l’Incapacity Conference, Calgary, Alberta, May 28-30th, 2016.
The document summarizes several legendary Olympic athletes from the United States. It describes the 1992 US Men's Basketball "Dream Team" that dominated opponents in Barcelona and featured stars like Michael Jordan. It also profiles Jesse Owens, who won 4 gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics and proved Hitler wrong about African athletic ability. Additional athletes summarized are Mary Lou Retton, the first American woman to win gold in all-around gymnastics in 1984, Florence Griffith Joyner who set world records in track in 1988, and Michael Phelps, who became the most decorated Olympian of all time after winning 10 gold medals in Beijing in 2008.
Track and field originated in ancient Greece with the first recorded foot race in 776 BC. The marathon event was introduced in the 1896 Olympics in Athens at a distance of about 26 miles. Track and field developed in the United States in the 1860s and the first collegiate races were held in 1873. Jim Thorpe won gold medals in pentathlon and decathlon at the 1912 Olympics but had them stripped for violating amateur eligibility rules. Various track and field events have evolved from ancient traditions, with the shot put stemming from Scottish stone putting and pole vaulting potentially arising from helping warriors scale walls.
Wheelchair curling is a Paralympic sport where athletes in wheelchairs throw rocks down the ice towards a target area. Teams have 4-5 players in positions including skip, third, second, and lead. Athletes are stationary in their wheelchairs and use either their hands or a delivery stick to throw rocks. The Canadian wheelchair curling team for the 2010 Vancouver Paralympics consists of skip Jim Armstrong, third Darryl Neighbour, second Ina Forrest, and lead Sonja Gaudet, coached by Joe Rea. The competition will take place from March 13-20 at the Vancouver Paralympic Center and feature teams from 10 countries including Canada, USA, South Korea, Great Britain, and Japan.
Track and field events are those which take
place inside an athletics stadium comprised of an oval running track which
surrounds a grass field. Track and field events fall under the umbrella of
athletics.
Ancient Greece is widely held to be the
birthplace of track and field competitions. The first Olympic Games were held
in 776BC in Olympia, Greece (although on this occasion only a single running
race was contested). The scope of the games would later expand to accommodate the
multitude of events that now take place in modern Olympiads.
English olympics WORD SEARCH MADE BY NITYANTabcxyz415
This document provides hints for various sports-related terms in a word search puzzle. It lists the Paralympics and Olympics mascots, the first Indian javelin throw gold medalist, the player with most swimming gold medals, the fastest 100m runner, and the rankings of medals. It also defines badminton, swimming, judo, tennis, football, wrestling, shooting and their involvement in the Olympics or Paralympics.
Check out the 2012 ITCCCA Awards including Hall-of-Fame, Athlete of the Year, Coach of the Year, Assistant Coach of the Year, Distinguished Service Award, Team Champions & More!
This document provides information about track and field events categorized into running events, jumping events, throwing events, combined events, and walks. It lists the standard events in each category for men and women along with event records for various Indian and Asian track and field competitions. It also provides details on positioning of hurdles and steeplechase barriers for different races and concludes with listing some world records in athletics.
This document provides an overview of track and field events in athletics competitions. It describes the different running events including short, middle and long distance races as well as relays. It also outlines the field events of jumping, throwing and combined events. Jumping events include high jump, long jump, triple jump and pole vault. Throwing events are hammer, discus, javelin and shot put. Combined events for men are the decathlon and for women the heptathlon, each testing overall athletic ability through 10 or 7 track and field events. Road races like the marathon and racewalking are also briefly mentioned.
The document is a practical file submitted by a student for their physical education class that outlines various aspects of athletics. It provides details on track and field events like sprints, middle and long distance races, relays, hurdles and walking. It also describes field events such as jumping, throwing, pole vault and various awards in athletics. The file aims to inform the reader about the different athletic events and competitions as well as the governing bodies that organize the sport.
Sports Coaching 'No kids left on the sideline'jehoughton
This document discusses strategies for increasing participation in physical education (PE) classes. It notes that some students may not participate due to lack of skills, bullying, competitive environments, disabilities, weight issues, or lack of confidence. The document recommends creating talented athlete classes, modifying games, and fun activities to engage more students. Images are also provided showing examples of inclusive PE strategies like wheelchair basketball.
The document summarizes the stories of five athletes who overcame immense obstacles and setbacks at the Olympics to achieve success: 1) The Jamaican bobsled team competed with little experience and borrowed equipment; 2) Greg Louganis won gold despite suffering a concussion from hitting his head on the diving board; 3) Derek Redmond finished a race despite tearing his hamstring with help from his father; 4) Kerri Strug landed her second vault on an injured ankle to secure gold for the US gymnastics team; 5) Bonnie Jansen lost both his races in 1988 after his sister's death but came back to win gold in 1994.
Disability Awareness Month 2012: Athletes with DisabilityMiami Dade College
This document profiles 20 athletes with disabilities who have competed in the Olympics and Paralympics. It summarizes their achievements and disabilities, including Sir Philip Craven who represented Great Britain in wheelchair basketball, Natalie Du Toit who was the first amputee to qualify for the Olympics, and Michael Phelps who has the most Olympic medals of all time and has ADHD. The athletes have a variety of disabilities but were all able to achieve sporting success at the highest levels.
Natalie du Toit was a prominent South African swimmer as a teenager, qualifying for the 1998 Commonwealth Games at age 14. In 2001, she lost her leg in a car accident but continued swimming with a prosthetic leg. Less than two years later, she qualified for the finals of the 800 meter freestyle at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, becoming the first amputee to race in an international able-bodied competition. She went on to win medals in able-bodied competitions and set records at the 2004 and 2008 Paralympics, becoming the first athlete to compete in both the Olympics and Paralympics by swimming in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. With 13 Paralympic gold medals and two silvers over her career, Natal
An amputee climber worked with an engineer to develop a custom 3D printed titanium prosthetic foot for climbing using additive manufacturing. The prosthetic was optimized to be lightweight yet stiff through its single-piece hollow construction and titanium material. It was also personalized to the climber's anatomy and provided freedom of design not possible with traditional manufacturing. The climber was able to successfully climb with the customized prosthetic.
This document provides information about IRONMAN triathlon races. It discusses the history and origins of IRONMAN races beginning in 1978. It outlines the standard distances for IRONMAN races which include a 3.86km swim, 180km bike, and 42.2km run. Biographies are provided for several elite IRONMAN athletes like Chrissie Wellington and Craig Alexander. Training tips are also included for the swim, bike, and run disciplines as well as general training plans and nutrition guidelines for IRONMAN preparation.
Declassified: Athletes’ Stories about Disability Identities and the Paralympi...Andrea Bundon
Bundon, A. (2016). Declassified: Athletes’ Stories about Disability Identities and the Paralympic Classification System. The North American Society for the Sociology of Sport 37th Annual Conference, Tampa Bay, Florida, November 3rd, 2016.
The document provides an overview of various track and field athletic events. It describes the different categories of running events including short, middle and long distance races. It also outlines field events such as jumping, throwing and hurdles. Specific events discussed include the 100m, marathon, pole vault, javelin and decathlon. The rules and techniques for performing each event are summarized.
The document provides rules and information about various athletics events. It states that athletes must follow rules like staying in their lane during sprints and not obstructing other athletes. It then describes different event types like sprints, which require speed; middle-distance events from 400m to 1500m which require strength and stamina; long distance events over 3000m which require rhythm and endurance; relays which require teamwork and baton passing skills; long jump which requires flexibility and body control; and shot put which requires power, speed, and strength training. Athletics involves competitive running, jumping and throwing events.
The pole vault is an athletic event where competitors use a flexible pole to help them jump over a crossbar placed at increasing heights. Athletes have three attempts to clear each height before being eliminated if they fail to clear three consecutive heights. The men's world record is held by Sergei Bubka at 6.14 meters, while the women's record holder is Yelena Isinbayeva at 5.06 meters.
The document provides details about the high jump event in track and field. It describes the history and basic rules of the event, including the Fosbury Flop technique used by elite athletes. Key details include the men's and women's world records held by Javier Sotomayor and Stefka Kostadinova. The document also discusses specifications for the runway, crossbar, shoes and different types of landing mats used in high jump competitions.
Honey or Vinegar? Athletes with Disabilities Discuss Strategies for Advocacy ...Andrea Bundon
Bundon, A. (2016). Honey or Vinegar? Athletes with Disabilities Discuss Strategies for Advocacy within the Paralympic Movement. The Canadian Disabilities Studies Association-Association des Études sur l’Incapacity Conference, Calgary, Alberta, May 28-30th, 2016.
The document summarizes several legendary Olympic athletes from the United States. It describes the 1992 US Men's Basketball "Dream Team" that dominated opponents in Barcelona and featured stars like Michael Jordan. It also profiles Jesse Owens, who won 4 gold medals at the 1936 Berlin Olympics and proved Hitler wrong about African athletic ability. Additional athletes summarized are Mary Lou Retton, the first American woman to win gold in all-around gymnastics in 1984, Florence Griffith Joyner who set world records in track in 1988, and Michael Phelps, who became the most decorated Olympian of all time after winning 10 gold medals in Beijing in 2008.
Track and field originated in ancient Greece with the first recorded foot race in 776 BC. The marathon event was introduced in the 1896 Olympics in Athens at a distance of about 26 miles. Track and field developed in the United States in the 1860s and the first collegiate races were held in 1873. Jim Thorpe won gold medals in pentathlon and decathlon at the 1912 Olympics but had them stripped for violating amateur eligibility rules. Various track and field events have evolved from ancient traditions, with the shot put stemming from Scottish stone putting and pole vaulting potentially arising from helping warriors scale walls.
Wheelchair curling is a Paralympic sport where athletes in wheelchairs throw rocks down the ice towards a target area. Teams have 4-5 players in positions including skip, third, second, and lead. Athletes are stationary in their wheelchairs and use either their hands or a delivery stick to throw rocks. The Canadian wheelchair curling team for the 2010 Vancouver Paralympics consists of skip Jim Armstrong, third Darryl Neighbour, second Ina Forrest, and lead Sonja Gaudet, coached by Joe Rea. The competition will take place from March 13-20 at the Vancouver Paralympic Center and feature teams from 10 countries including Canada, USA, South Korea, Great Britain, and Japan.
Track and field events are those which take
place inside an athletics stadium comprised of an oval running track which
surrounds a grass field. Track and field events fall under the umbrella of
athletics.
Ancient Greece is widely held to be the
birthplace of track and field competitions. The first Olympic Games were held
in 776BC in Olympia, Greece (although on this occasion only a single running
race was contested). The scope of the games would later expand to accommodate the
multitude of events that now take place in modern Olympiads.
English olympics WORD SEARCH MADE BY NITYANTabcxyz415
This document provides hints for various sports-related terms in a word search puzzle. It lists the Paralympics and Olympics mascots, the first Indian javelin throw gold medalist, the player with most swimming gold medals, the fastest 100m runner, and the rankings of medals. It also defines badminton, swimming, judo, tennis, football, wrestling, shooting and their involvement in the Olympics or Paralympics.
Check out the 2012 ITCCCA Awards including Hall-of-Fame, Athlete of the Year, Coach of the Year, Assistant Coach of the Year, Distinguished Service Award, Team Champions & More!
This document provides information about track and field events categorized into running events, jumping events, throwing events, combined events, and walks. It lists the standard events in each category for men and women along with event records for various Indian and Asian track and field competitions. It also provides details on positioning of hurdles and steeplechase barriers for different races and concludes with listing some world records in athletics.
This document provides an overview of track and field events in athletics competitions. It describes the different running events including short, middle and long distance races as well as relays. It also outlines the field events of jumping, throwing and combined events. Jumping events include high jump, long jump, triple jump and pole vault. Throwing events are hammer, discus, javelin and shot put. Combined events for men are the decathlon and for women the heptathlon, each testing overall athletic ability through 10 or 7 track and field events. Road races like the marathon and racewalking are also briefly mentioned.
The document is a practical file submitted by a student for their physical education class that outlines various aspects of athletics. It provides details on track and field events like sprints, middle and long distance races, relays, hurdles and walking. It also describes field events such as jumping, throwing, pole vault and various awards in athletics. The file aims to inform the reader about the different athletic events and competitions as well as the governing bodies that organize the sport.
Sports Coaching 'No kids left on the sideline'jehoughton
This document discusses strategies for increasing participation in physical education (PE) classes. It notes that some students may not participate due to lack of skills, bullying, competitive environments, disabilities, weight issues, or lack of confidence. The document recommends creating talented athlete classes, modifying games, and fun activities to engage more students. Images are also provided showing examples of inclusive PE strategies like wheelchair basketball.
The document summarizes the stories of five athletes who overcame immense obstacles and setbacks at the Olympics to achieve success: 1) The Jamaican bobsled team competed with little experience and borrowed equipment; 2) Greg Louganis won gold despite suffering a concussion from hitting his head on the diving board; 3) Derek Redmond finished a race despite tearing his hamstring with help from his father; 4) Kerri Strug landed her second vault on an injured ankle to secure gold for the US gymnastics team; 5) Bonnie Jansen lost both his races in 1988 after his sister's death but came back to win gold in 1994.
Disability Awareness Month 2012: Athletes with DisabilityMiami Dade College
This document profiles 20 athletes with disabilities who have competed in the Olympics and Paralympics. It summarizes their achievements and disabilities, including Sir Philip Craven who represented Great Britain in wheelchair basketball, Natalie Du Toit who was the first amputee to qualify for the Olympics, and Michael Phelps who has the most Olympic medals of all time and has ADHD. The athletes have a variety of disabilities but were all able to achieve sporting success at the highest levels.
Natalie du Toit was a prominent South African swimmer as a teenager, qualifying for the 1998 Commonwealth Games at age 14. In 2001, she lost her leg in a car accident but continued swimming with a prosthetic leg. Less than two years later, she qualified for the finals of the 800 meter freestyle at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, becoming the first amputee to race in an international able-bodied competition. She went on to win medals in able-bodied competitions and set records at the 2004 and 2008 Paralympics, becoming the first athlete to compete in both the Olympics and Paralympics by swimming in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. With 13 Paralympic gold medals and two silvers over her career, Natal
An amputee climber worked with an engineer to develop a custom 3D printed titanium prosthetic foot for climbing using additive manufacturing. The prosthetic was optimized to be lightweight yet stiff through its single-piece hollow construction and titanium material. It was also personalized to the climber's anatomy and provided freedom of design not possible with traditional manufacturing. The climber was able to successfully climb with the customized prosthetic.
This document provides information about IRONMAN triathlon races. It discusses the history and origins of IRONMAN races beginning in 1978. It outlines the standard distances for IRONMAN races which include a 3.86km swim, 180km bike, and 42.2km run. Biographies are provided for several elite IRONMAN athletes like Chrissie Wellington and Craig Alexander. Training tips are also included for the swim, bike, and run disciplines as well as general training plans and nutrition guidelines for IRONMAN preparation.
Morgan tells the story of how they trained for and completed an Ironman triathlon. They started by doing marathons and triathlons, then joined a training group called the SoCal Collective to train for Ironman Wisconsin. After a year of difficult training, they traveled to Madison for the race. Morgan struggled during the 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike, and 26.2 mile run but was motivated by seeing friends and family along the course. After 12 hours and 57 minutes, Morgan crossed the finish line and received their finisher medal, celebrating the accomplishment with teammates.
Mcphan, J. (n.d.). Preparing Amputee Athletes: THE AUSTRALIAN APPROACH.Ciro Winckler
This document provides an overview of preparing amputee athletes in Australia through a multidisciplinary approach. It discusses the biomechanics of amputee running and considerations for different amputation levels. It also outlines the roles of the physiotherapist, prosthetist, and coach in assessing amputee athletes, developing training programs, managing injuries, and analyzing gait deviations. The goal is to support amputee athletes through a collaborative team approach.
Oscar Pistorius was born in South Africa without fibulas in both legs and had both legs amputated by 11 months old. He played various sports growing up like rugby, water polo, and tennis. At age 16, he decided to pursue athletics despite being told it was impossible. He became a professional athlete using specialized prosthetic blades called "Cheetahs" that cost 20,000 euros per pair. Pistorius received several major awards for his athletic achievements and breakthrough as a Paralympian. He also had two offers from Hollywood to bring his story to the big screen, either playing himself or taking a professional acting role.
This document provides a recipe for making burritos, a popular Mexican dish. It lists the main ingredients as meat like chicken or veal, onion, tomato, chili pepper, garlic, and cheese. The recipe instructs to fry the meat and chili with olive oil and salt, then add tomato, garlic, onion, and pepper and continue cooking. Finally, all the ingredients are wrapped in a pancake or tortilla with lettuce.
Dori Ruano is a professional cyclist from Salamanca, Spain. She showed a passion and talent for cycling from a young age. This led her to pursue cycling competitively starting in 1987. Throughout her career, Dori won several national and world championships in both track and road cycling. She also represented Spain in cycling at three Olympic games. Cycling has given Dori a sense of freedom and opportunity to help others enjoy the sport.
1. Upper limb amputations occur frequently due to trauma, tumors, and diseases. Prosthetic options include body-powered, myoelectric, and hybrid prostheses.
2. Myoelectric prostheses provide more grip strength and functional range compared to body-powered prostheses but require targeted muscle sites and electrodes.
3. Advances in prosthetic interfaces, microprocessor technology, waterproof components, and speed have improved the function and real-world use of electronic upper limb prostheses.
This document discusses upper limb prosthetics. It describes the characteristics of a successful prosthesis, considerations when choosing a prosthesis, reasons for upper limb amputations, amputation levels, types of prosthetics including cosmetic, functional, body-powered, externally powered and myoelectric prosthetics. It provides details on the typical components of an upper limb body-powered prosthesis including the socket, suspension, control cables, terminal devices and any intervening joint components. It outlines the timelines for amputation and prosthetic fitting.
The document defines orthotics and prosthetics and describes common devices used for each. Orthotics are devices that support or immobilize parts of the body, like splints or braces, while prosthetics replace missing body parts like limbs. It provides details on various static and dynamic orthoses, including examples like knee braces or back supports. For prosthetics, it outlines the components of lower and upper limb prostheses and different suspension, joint, and terminal device options. The ideal orthosis or prosthesis is described as functional, fitting well, light weight, easy to use, acceptable cosmetically, and easily maintained or repaired.
1. fa c e s
Breaking Barriers
Amputee Amy Palmiero-Winters takes on
Western States 100-mile Endurance Run
A
t last May’s The North Face Endurance Challenge 50-miler at Bear
Mountain, New York, 37-year-old Amy Palmiero-Winters cautiously picked
her way over the loose boulders. Stepping onto a round rock with her
right foot, she drew her other leg forward and placed the wedge of rubber
serving as her left foot atop another rock, flexing her knee as jarring forces shot up
her carbon-fiber prosthesis and through her left side.
had run a 3:16 at Boston before the acci-
dent), Palmiero-Winters crammed her
now size 4.5 foot (she was normally a size
7.5) into a tiny shoe and finished Ohio’s
Columbus Marathon in 4:05.
Over the next several years, Palmiero-
Winters endured 27 surgeries attempt-
ing to improve the fused ankle and atro-
phying foot before doctors finally sug-
gested below-the-knee amputation.
“When they initially talked about ampu-
tating it, my reaction was, ‘No! I’m a
runner. You can’t do that!’” she says.
Stepping Ahead
After conceding to the amputation in
1997, Palmiero-Winters received a pros-
thesis designed for walking. It didn’t stop
her from running, even though it felt “like
running on a stick.”
Then in 2006, she found Schaffer’s com-
pany, A Step Ahead Prosthetics, in Hicks-
ville, New York, and was fitted with a
curved, flexible carbon-fiber running pros-
thesis. With it, she started training 60 to 70
miles a week and a few months later, set a
P.R. of 3:04 at the Chicago Marathon. Since
then, she has set 12 amputee world records
from the 5K to the Ironman Triathlon.
At A Step Ahead, Palmiero-Winters
had found the supportive “family” and
can-do attitude she had been seeking.
“I was surrounded by active people with
goals, whether they had prosthetics or
not,” she says. Profoundly affected by
the company’s commitment to help cli-
ents “live life without limitations,” the
single mom quit her job as a welder and
moved with her children Carson, 6, and
Madilynn, 4, to Hicksville to become
the program director for Team A Step
Ahead, whose members of all ages pur-
sue sports—from martial arts to skiing
to rock climbing—up to an elite level.
While her accomplishments prompt
able-bodied people to rethink amputees’
capabilities, her passion lies in dem-
onstrating to fellow amputees what is
possible. “I’m just an athlete and a mom
with goals like everyone else, but I face
different obstacles,” she says. “I want to
show that amputation is not an excuse
for not doing something.”
Palmiero-Winters’ increasingly ambi-
tious goals and race results earned her an
ESPY nomination (awarded to outstand-
ing athletes by cable network ESPN) and
Runner’s World Hero of Running dis-
T r a i l r u n n e r m a g . c o m june 2010 28
by elinor fish » photo by clay mcbride
The $26,000 prosthesis’ componentry
may be state of the art, but still can’t
provide the intuitive proprioception of
a flesh-and-blood ankle joint and calf
muscles that flex and twist. “Amputees
exert far more energy because of their
missing joints,” says her prosthetist, Erik
Schaffer. “The abuse running places on
Amy’s body is mind boggling. It’s like
she’s running a race and half.”
When she registered for Bear Moun-
tain—her first trail race—the organizers
told her, “There’s no way an amputee can
do this race.” Such skepticism only ampli-
fied her determination.
And while the uneven terrain, exposed
traverses and rocky stream beds were
much harder than she’d anticipated,
Palmiero-Winters finished in 12 hours 59
minutes, nearly four hours after women’s
winner, Nikki Kimball. “She is a tough,
smart racer,” says Kimball. “And truly,
aren’t those the characteristics that make
a successful ultrarunner?”
Proving “it” could be done has been
the theme of Palmiero-Winters’s running
career, since a 1994 motorcycle acci-
dent mangled her left foot, requiring the
removal of several bones in her foot and
ankle. Anxious to resume running (she
2. f a c e s
29 june 2010 T r a i l r u n n e r m a g . c o m
tinction in 2007, she was named USATF
Runner of the Week last October, and
the Washington Post listed her among
the Runners of the Decade, along with
ultrarunner Scott Jurek and 24-time
world-record-holder, Haile Gebrselassie.
While it’s easy to measure her success
by her race results, far more impressive
is her mental toughness.
For example, last July, in California’s
Death Valley, Palmiero-Winters paced
her friend Dave Balsley during a solo
Badwater Crossing a week after the offi-
cial 135-mile Badwater Ultramarathon
had taken place. Running well despite
the 127-degree heat, she was unaware
that inside the socket, her residual limb
was literally “baking.” After 67 miles,
when she finally paused on the roadside
to address the discomfort, “We pulled
the suction liner off and my skin basical-
ly went with it,” she reported on her blog.
Palmiero-Winters continued to mile 94
before finally heading to the hospital to
have her second-and third-degree burns
treated at the hospital, some of which have
yet to heal. Nevertheless, she registered for
this July’s Badwater Ultramarathon. “Amy
has more gut and drive than anyone I’ve
met,” says Schaffer. “She has an ability to
remove pain from her mind and focus on
going forward no matter what.”
But Palmiero-Winters remains modest. “I
hurt, I bleed, I fall. I am not superhuman.
Nor am I disabled,” she says.
Unfair Advantage?
After Bear Mountain, Palmiero-Winters
competed in the remaining four Endur-
ance Challenge 50-milers, finishing as
high as fourth woman at the Madison,
Wisconsin, event. But more important
than her place, she was thrilled to score
the sub-12-hour finishing time she need-
ed to qualify for June’s Western States
100-Mile Endurance Run in California.
To prepare for Western States, last Octo-
ber, Palmiero-Winters entered her first
100-mile trail race, the Heartland Spirit of
the Prairie 100-miler in Cassoday, Kansas.
She won in 18 hours 54 minutes.
Such performances prompt some people-
to question whether the lightweight pros-
thesis gives her an advantage. “I don’t see
them running on their kneecap,” she says,
explaining that her patellar tendon, which
connects the patella to the tibia, is her left
leg’s only (and insufficient) impact-absorb-
ing mechanism apart from the carbon
fiber’s slight give.
Over the years, the stress of running
(amplified by the prosthesis, which essen-
tially acts like a tuning fork sending forces
throughout the body) has caused nagging
lower-back pain. “I come down harder on
my right side, so I started trail running to
reduce the pounding,” she says.
But her off-road ambition has pre-
sented new challenges. With her current
foot design, Palmiero-Winters must side-
step downhills because she lacks a heel.
And, as she learned at January’s Race
to the Future 24-hour ultramarathon in
Glendale, Arizona, held on a tight loop
measuring just six-tenths of a mile, the
rigid prosthetic foot doesn’t “corner”
well, further jarring her gait.
Amazingly, Palmiero-Winters complet-
ed 217 laps to cover 130.4 miles—14
miles more than the top male and 36.5
miles more than the next woman. That
head-turning victory earned her a spot
on the able-bodied U.S. national 24-hour
ultramarathon team that competed
at the world championships in Breve,
France, in May.
For the world championships and other
upcoming races, Schaffer has developed
custom prosthetics for each. In the lab,
he and her coach, Bob Otto, a professor
of human-performance sciences at Adel-
phi University, have Palmiero-Winters
run with the prototypes on a treadmill
as much as 20 to 30 miles a day to deter-
mine the most efficient designs. Her
Western States prosthesis is the heaviest
by a half pound (weighing 3.5 pounds) to
handle the forces of downhill running.
While Palmiero-Winters will always be
at a physical disadvantage, her team of
experts aim to reduce those disadvan-
tages, no matter how ambitious her goals
become. “We created the beast, now we
have to keep up with it,” says Schaffer.
And then, of course there’s her
unbreakable spirit. “Some of her com-
petition may be in better condition and
have the advantage of two limbs, but
when it comes to mental fortitude, I put
my money on Amy,” says Otto.
When asked about her goal for the
highly competitive Western States, she
responds, “At the end of the day, I have
two little kids at home who think I’m the
world’s fastest mommy. As long as I do
my best that day, that’s all I want.” ■