Statements
Mission
Helping lower limb different athletes of all ages reimagine what is possible in sports and in life.
Background
Amputee Blade Runners was founded in 2011 by two prosthetists, Ryan Fann and Aaron Fitzsimmons, with the idea that a single piece of equipment can be life changing. Ryan, who is himself an amputee, knew this first-hand, having received a running leg after high school. That running leg enabled him to capitalize on his athletic potential, competing in track at Tennessee State University and bringing home gold and bronze medals from the 2004 Paralympics. Ryan went on to become a prosthetist, and completed his residency under Aaron Fitzsimmons. Aaron's passion for helping people began with Camp Easter Seals organization during his undergraduate college experience. Aaron would spend 9 weeks each summer at a residential camp caring for children and adults with various disabilities and congenital disorders. The reward of helping others continued early on in a career as an Occupational Therapist (OT) but something was missing. Aaron paid for OT school by doing construction work and early in his career he realized he missed this "building" aspect of work. Aaron then met Ronney Snell. Ronney was the president of the American Orthotic and Prosthetic Association, AOPA, and had a private practice in Memphis, TN. Aaron began volunteering and working a second job with Ronney as a prosthetic technician. Aaron realized quickly that prosthetics was the combination of helping others and building things he was looking for in order to make a positive difference in people's lives. Aaron went back to graduate school for prosthetics in Connecticut and went back to work with Ronney to complete his residency and work with Ronney for a few years. Aaron contributes much of his knowledge base and focus to the great example that Ronney Snell set for him and hopes to make a difference in the field of prosthetics to somehow honor Ronney Snell.
Impact
2023 Accomplishments
Provided prosthetic education, equipment, and support to over 18 new athletes with amputations
Provided prosthetic education, equipment, and support to over 100 existing athletes with amputations
ABR works with a variety of athletes, young and old. We provided a sports leg for a Vietnam veteran who lost his foot over half a century ago in a body trap in Vietnam. He claimed he had been looking for ABR without knowing it for 50 years. One of our other athletes is the first amputee to portray an amputee as a regular cast member on network television by starring in NBC's La Brea. Five athletes competed internationally in track, field, and swimming. ABR also fielded a team to compete in Ragnar's Bourbon Chase, a 200 mile relay race through Kentucky. The 9 amputees had 12 prosthetic feet, and 3 prosthetic knees.
Needs
Financial resources. As the active amputee community grows to learn more about our organization, the demand is rapidly increasing. ABR has historically accepted approximately 20-25 new athletes per year. ABR provides continued support to its athletes, particularly the children, for years after the initial fitting. ABR has a national audience and consequently has always placed a high value on the ability to provide remote and digital support. The COVID-19 pandemic brought a heightened need for the ability to provide education and support in a socially distant environment. The creation of video instruction for patients, families, and other health professionals will be a priority in the coming year. Additionally, a fabrication technician and a case manager are likely the next hires. Space - ABR provides services within the friendly confines of two for-profit companies. As the organization continues to grow, ABR will need to provide services in a more dedicated space. Marketing support. Amputee Blade Runners is at the forefront of many ideas in the active amputee space. ABR seeks to provide education and guidance for patients and prosthetists alike through the development of a series of video, picture and documents.
CEO Statement
Running is one of life's simplest and most rewarding pleasures. It is the baseline activity for not just sports, but how children play and interact with each other. Sadly, running prosthetics are typically deemed "medically unnecessary" and thus not covered by insurance. Even for those who are able to clear the financial hurdle, most prosthetists are too inexperienced to successfully fit a patient with a running blade. Amputee Blade Runners seeks to provide education, equipment, and empowerment for amputees who want to lead an active life. Our goal is to restore the joy that comes with an active lifestyle. Most organizations are faced with the decision of going deep or wide with its target audience. ABR goes deep. It takes approximately a week measure, cast, fit and fabricate a socket that will stand up to the demands placed on it by our athletes. It is a deeply personal experience for everyone involved. Limb loss is one of the hardest physical things one can experience. ABR is often the best physical thing that our athletes have experienced. Being a part of the joy and restoration of some of the most determined people I've ever met is both humbling and exhilarating.
Board Chair Statement
I have been honored to serve on the board with Amputee Blade Runners (ABR) since
its' inception and have been very pleased to see the continued impact we have had on
active amputees here in Middle Tennessee and across the country. The mission of our
organization is compelling, and our board is very active in making sure that everything
we do goes to serve active amputees. In the past year we have taken on the new
challenge of trying to better educate industry partners and share our expertise with
active amputees across the community. One example was our a very successful 3-day
trip to work alongside the healthcare team at Texas Scottish Rite hospital in Dallas. We
were able to share some of the innovative expertise we have developed with their
prosthetics technicians while also building legs for seven new ABR members!
We have also focused on improving our outcomes reporting to make sure that we can
effectively demonstrate the life-changing impact that we can have on the individuals we
serve. Some of the key highlights from our member survey this past year included:
100% were more physically active
97% were more confident
87% have tried one new thing they would not have attempted before
Personally, the athletes we work with at ABR are very inspiring to me. Their grit,
determination, and humility in the face of very tough circumstances always give me a
fresh sense of what is possible and drives me to try harder in whatever challenges I
face. When ABR provides a grant to a person who has been struggling we don't just do
a good deed - we literally change their life. By allowing them to return to an active
lifestyle we restore their hope in the future and give them a great platform to inspire
others.
Over the years, as ABR has grown we have also realized that we have unintentionally
developed a tight knit community of active amputees and their families. When our
athletes come together for the annual picnic they form immediate and long-lasting
friendships based on the common bond of ABR. Parents especially have benefitted
from getting to know other families who have overcome the same unique struggles.
When we surveyed parents of children, we have helped we were excited to see that,
95% said their child has been more active since receiving their running leg and 90%
said their child has improved/maintained grades.
To see this ABR community grow and take on a life of its own has been very rewarding.
We were proud to be able to continue services during the COVID-19 pandemic and we
hope to continue to spread our message and keep our community of athletes engaged
as we look ahead to 2021. During this time, we have enjoyed continued support from
people like The Surgical Clinic, Fillauer, and Raymond James but are actively improving
our donor outreach as well as improving our social media and digital outreach
strategies.
Service Categories |
|
| Primary Category: | Health Care - Rehabilitative Care |
| Secondary Category: | Education - Single Organization Support |
| Tertiary Category: | Recreation & Sports - Recreation & Sports NEC |
Areas Served
Amputee Blade Runners (ABR) is based in Nashville, TN and places no geographic restrictions on its applicants. Residents of nearly 40 states have benefited from ABR's services. However, due to our Nashville location, we have a high number of athletes who live in and around Nashville.
| National |
| TN - Davidson |
| TN - Maury |
| TN - Rutherford |
| TN - Williamson |
| TN - Wilson |
| TN |
| National |
