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CROSS COUNTRY RIDE AIMS TO INSPIRE AMPUTEES

Amputation does not mean the end of the world and three amputees are proving an active life is attainable after amputation. The three are amputee cyclists who will bike from California to Florida as representatives of Amputees Across America.

Amber Johnson, Gary Summers and, ride founder, Joe Sapere will be crossing the United States on bicycles this summer to demonstrate that even with limb amputations great things can be accomplished. This is the fifth year of the Amputees Across America transcontinental ride. The riders will depart from Tustin, California, on June 5 and complete their journey July 31 in Vero Beach, Florida.

During the course of the 2006 ride, Amputees Across America cyclists will visit over 20 rehabilitation facilities and hospitals, including the Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital of Dallas. In addition to these visits, the riders will also complete skydives in Barstow, California, Dallas, Texas, and Quincy, Florida, in honor of courageous individuals they meet along their journey.

While athletically active, this will be the longest bike ride Amber Johnson, 29, of Macon, Georgia, will have undertaken. Johnson is an elementary school teacher and enjoys running, biking and playing softball. She ultimately became an amputee as the result of a car accident at age 17. She is a transtibial amputee with the Ertl surgical technique. Johnson’s personal message for the ride is that amputees are “differently-abled, not disabled”.

Gary Summers, 52, of Mt. Sterling, Ohio, is a transfemoral amputee due to a 2003 motorcycle accident. This summer he’ll be riding his bicycle instead of a motorcycle. He aims to help others “regain the determination it takes to live a fulfilling life and not stay on the sidelines waiting”. Summers credits his faith and a supportive family and community for his recovery from the accident and amputation. He is eager to share with others how a trauma leading to amputation can be overcome.

Amputees Across America founder Joe Sapere, 65, of Chesapeake, Virginia, is anxious for the start of the 2006 ride. Sapere, a Retired Air Force colonel and elementary teacher, become a transtibial amputee due to a skydiving accident in 2000. AAA’s first transcontinental bicycle and skydiving tour was in 2002 and has impacted numerous lives since its inception. Sapere’s goal with the ride is to demonstrate to other amputees that life gets better despite amputation.

The 2006 Amputees Across America trip is sponsored in part by Ohio Willow Wood and HEALTHSOUTH. All riders are outfitted with Pathfinder^® II feet and Alpha^® Liners, provided at no cost by Ohio Willow Wood. Contributions from individuals, organizations and businesses are welcome. For more information, a ride itinerary, or to read their online journal during the ride, visit www.amputeesacrossamerica.com

Ohio Willow Wood, located in Mt. Sterling, Ohio, is an innovative industry leader in the manufacturing and distribution of prosthetic products, including the Alpha family of liners, the Pathfinder II foot and the OMEGA^® Tracer^® CAD system. For more information about Ohio Willow Wood and its products, please call 1-800-848-4930 or visit the company’s website at www.owwco.com.