When I've been out hiking people have often told me I'm an inspirations and motivate them to keep going. It feels good to know that I've had a positive impact on some people. If you are one of those folks that have seen me hiking and been inspired, have you ever asked yourself, who inspires the amputee?
Other amputees inspire me. Case in point, Sam Maddaus. Sam is a left below knee (LBK) and took on one of the most challenging hikes in the world, the Pacific Crest Trail. For those of you not familiar with the PCT, it's a 2,650-mile hike along the ridge of the Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges starting at the border with Mexico, north to the Canadian border across deserts, mountains and reaching an elevation of 13,153 feet at it highest. This is not for the faint of heart.
People like Sam inspire me and in a way that someone with both legs can never fully understand. I know those cramps in the stump, the heat causing rashes and skin problems, sudden phantom pain causing you to freeze in place and focus all your attention on not falling over and down a mountain. His will to persevere is what inspires me look up from the two feet of trail in front of me and take the next step.