Adapted PE for Individuals with Amputations
Jennifer Benitez

Many people believe that individuals with physical disabilities cannot participate in everyday sports and recreational activities. Some individuals with physical disabilities may also believe that they cannot participate in sports, because they are discouraged from doing so, or because they are in emotional distress and have not come to accept the fact that they must live with a physical disability. Despite the beliefs many people have, that individuals with disabilities cannot participate in sports, many athletes all over the world have persevered and achieved great things in the sports world without interference from their physical disabilities.

In 2005 Sarah Reinertsen completed the Hawaii Ironman triathlon. The Ironman consists of a 2.4 mile swim, a 112 mile bike ride, and a 26.2 mile run. Sarah Reinertsen completed the race in a little over 15 hours, and she did it with the absence of her left leg. Sarah has an above-knee amputation, but this has not hindered her success in life in anyway. Sarah was the first female amputee to appear on the cover of Runner's World magazine in 2004, and she holds several world records for above-knee amputees (Runner's World).

Palmiero-Winters is a 34 year old woman with two children, and has a below-the-knee amputation on her left leg. Palmiero-Winters was in a motorcycle accident and had to have her lower leg amputated. A friend was concerned about how she would cope emotionally, and to this Palmiero-Winters assured him 'Alan, compared with the problems some people have, this is like a hangnail' (Butler, 2007). With the use of a prosthetic leg Palmiero-Winters was able to continue her passion of long distance running. With hard work, dedication, and a desire to reach her full potential as an athlete, Palmiero-Winters broke the marathon record for a female below-the-knee amputee in Cleveland in 2006. (Butler, 2007)

Bethany Hamilton was a very successful surfer at age 13, placing second in the Open Women's Division of the National Scholastics Surfing Association (NSSA) Championship, but this all changed when she was attacked by a shark that left her without a left arm. Within one month of the shark attack Bethany was back in the water surfing, and in the following seven months she competed in the Open Women's Division of the NSSA Championship and placed fifth. Bethany refuses to be treated any differently from other surfers, and request no special considerations or assistance during competitions. With continuous dedication she has placed first in many surf competitions, and aspires to continue accomplishing all her dreams (Bethany's General Biography).

These athletes are just a few of the individuals who have not let the fact that they have an amputation hinder there success in life. All individuals with amputations can still lead active healthy lives with the knowledge of available adapted equipment, and with encouragement from family, friends, and from within. People acquire amputations due to various factors that occur prior to birth or later in life (Stopka & Todorovich, 2005). With the use of a prosthetic or adapted equipment, individuals with amputations are still able to participate and competitively compete in several sports. It has been discovered that prosthetics have been used since 300 BC, and their use became widespread in the 19th century due to war casualties.

Artificial Limb Program was started in 1945 by the National Academy of Sciences, and since then artificial limbs have improved greatly (Artificial limb). People with amputations will need to learn how to properly care for their stump, and they will need to learn how to use the prosthetic (Stopka & Todorovich, 2005). Once the individual has accomplished these objectives, along with total acceptance of the condition, the training program for the specific sport will be very similar to that for a person without an amputation (Ferrara & Palutsis, 2001).

Various organizations are available to help individuals with amputations maintain active lives, participate in society, and offer support. One such organization is the National Amputation Foundation. The National Amputation Foundation was founded in 1919, after World War I, by soldiers who acquired amputations. The foundation initially assisted veterans of World War I, II, Korea, the Vietnam Conflict, Desert Storm, and Iraqi Freedom, but now also assists civilians with amputations. The National Amputation Foundation provides various services to reach out to people with amputations. One of these programs is the AMP to AMP Program.

In the AMP to AMP program, a member with an amputation of the organization who has recovered emotionally, visits the new member with an amputation at home, in a hospital or in a nursing home and offers peer counseling and support to the new member. The Medical Equipment Give-A-Way Program offers donated medical equipment like wheelchairs, walkers, canes and crutches to any person in need (National Amputation Foundation). In addition, the Amputee Coalition of America is another organization that strives to support individuals with amputations. The Amputee Coalition of America is an organization that promotes equality for people with amputations, and supports full implementation of all legislation which guarantees individuals with amputations equal rights. The mission of the Amputee Coalition of America is "to reach out to people with limb loss, and to empower them through education, support and advocacy" (Amputee Coalition of America).

The Amputee Coalition of America conducts programs for its members to educate them about issues individuals with amputations may face, develops and distributes educational resources to individuals with amputations and their families, and offers a toll-free hotline to answer any questions individuals may have. The Amputee Coalition of America also holds a youth camp for children aged ten to sixteen. "The purpose of the ACA Youth Camp is to provide a camping experience for youth with limb loss, and limb difference, that focuses on leadership development, nutrition education, and physical fitness, improving self-esteem, creating positive social interaction, and developing peer support" (Amputee Coalition of America).

The United States government has also taken action to promote good health and equality to individuals with amputations. The department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has initiated the "I Can Do It, You Can Do It!" campaign which was initiated to support good health and physical activity for the millions of American children who have disabilities. The campaign aims to promote active lifestyles for individuals with disabilities, and to provide physical activity programs (Yannes, 2004). The Secretary of HHS, Tommy Thompson, stated 'We may tend to overlook that people with disabilities are at higher risk for the conditions that can result from inactivity, and we may even overlook the reality that people with disabilities can be extremely able in participating in activities that are as challenging, and even more challenging, than the ones that are more familiar to us.'

Today it is possible for athletes with amputations to participate in sports ranging from skiing to running. With the popularity and demand by athletes with amputations to compete in sports, prosthetics have improved dramatically and are adapted to various specific sports. The popularity of athletes with amputations currently seen in the media is very positive and creating awareness to the public about disabled athletes. The Paralympics, which were first held in 1960, and is the second largest worldwide sporting event, can be partly credited for this positive publicity (Farkas, 2004). "Through sport, the Paralympics force us to realize that we are more alike than different" (Gonzalez, 2005).

The Paralympics take place in whichever city the Olympics are held (Ferrara & Palutsis, 2001). Once the Olympics are completed, the Paralympics will take place using the same facilities (Gonzalez, 2005). The UN Secretary-General stated, 'the Paralympic Games are a powerful demonstration of the vitality and achievements of persons with a disability worldwide' (Farkas, 2004). The popularity of the Paralympics has increased greatly. Both the number of athletes and spectators has expanded. "Thirty-six countries took part in the Paralympics Games in Salt Lake City in March of 2002, with more than 1,100 athletes and officials involved. For the first time in Paralympics Games history, spectators were able to order tickets in real-time via the internet with 85% of the 250,000 tickets available sold" (Gonzalez, 2005).

In 2004 the first International Paralympics Symposium on Disability Rights was held during the Paralympics. This event was hosted by the International Paralympics Committee (IPG) and Rehabilitation International (RI). "The Paralympic Games were logically chosen as the site for launching the support of the IPG towards the draft UN convention" (Farkas, 2004). The events purpose was to promote the rights and dignity of persons with disabilities. "These rights include, but are not limited to, the rights to play, to sports and recreation, and to full participation in society" (Farkas, 2004). The IPG works to effectively guarantee the human rights of persons with disabilities, which remain unattainable for many individuals with disabilities (Farkas, 2004). Individuals with amputations can participate in various adapted sports.

One example of an adapted sport that people with amputations can participate in is snowshoeing. Snowshoeing is an inexpensive sport that is quite popular. There is no need for expensive equipment, and poles can be used to help with moving through the snow (Hester, 2000). Individuals with amputations can also participate in more challenging sports such as skateboarding, snowboarding, and wakeboarding. Chris Mclaughlin had his leg amputated at the age of nine, because he had a clubfoot and shorter left leg that was keeping him from participating in sports comfortably. After the surgery, and a full recovery, he started using a prosthetic leg, and he was delighted to discover that he could now play and excel at various sports.

Chris now plays soccer, skateboards, snowboards, and wakeboards (Bennett, 2004). Now, with his new prosthetic leg Chris states, 'I love skateboarding and if I hadn't had the amputation, I know I wouldn't be able to skateboard. I don't think I could do a lot of the things I do. I've been a lot more active since I got my amputation,' With the help of prosthetics and adapted equipment, athletes with amputations can excel at several sports. Many athletes with amputations have accomplished great things in the sports world. Individuals with new amputations need to be made aware of these accomplishments, which will help them to realize that they still can lead healthy active lives.

References

Amputee Coalition of America. Retrieved March 25, 2007 from Website: http://www.amputee-coalition.org/index.html

Artifical limb [Electronic version]. (2007). Retrieved April 1, 2007 from Website: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_Limbs

Bennett, J. D. (2002). Amputation Leads to Athletic Excellence [Electronic version]. Youth in Motion. Retrieved March 24, 2007 from Website: http://www.nextstepoan andp.com/Stories/Chris%20McLaughlin%20Youth%20inMotion%20article.pdf

Bethany’s General Biography [Electronic version]. (2004). Retrieved March 23, 2007 from Website: BethanyHamilton.com

Butler, S. L. (2007, May). One Tough Mama. Runner's World, 42(5), 25-26.

Farkas, A. (2004). The Right to Participate, With Rights to Win. UN Chronicle, 41(4), 14-15.

Ferrara, M. S., & Palutsis, G. R. (2001). Athletic Training and Sports Medicine: Athletes with Different Abilities. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

Gonzalez, X. (2005). Paralympic Games Inspire & Excite the World. The Exceptional Parent, 35(12), 42, 44-7.

Hester, J. (2000). Making Tracks. The Exceptional Parent, 30(2), 84-5.

National Amputation Foundation. Retrieved March 25, 2007 from Website: http://www.nationalamputation.org/

Runner’s World. Hero’s of 2004 [Electronic version]. Retrieved April 1, 2007 from Website:
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,ss6-243-293--10388-6- 1X2X3X4X5X6X7X8-9,00.html

Stopka, C., & Todorovich, J. R. (2005). Applied Special Physical Education and Exercise Therapy. Boston, MA: Pearson Custom Publishing.

Yannes, J. V. (2004). I Can Do It, You Can Do It. The Exceptional Parent, 34(7), 64- 6.

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