5 Toes Each

Good News First:

I rode with three recent amputees this morning.  Linda, from GF Strong Rehab Centre, organized a ride and asked/invited me to join the group (which included a wife and a sister as well.) 

I met the guys last week - when I visited the rehab ward.  They are all still in physio three times a week learning how to use their legs.  It was pretty awesome to get out with them (in the rain) and ride.  Some had only ridden once or twice since losing a leg...  maybe on the awesome Specialized bike the Bike Gallery donated last year...

We went 20km - it was a wet, rolling course with not a single car - perfect for our group.

I am pumped to see cycling as a standard part of rehab now and even more pumped to help out.  We had a blast!

The Bad News:

I treated this morning's ride like a test - I was hoping for a miracle.  

I can still ride the bike - but with the slightest hill or speed increase my leg begins to scream at me.  It feels like I am poking a wound (and I am...)  

The doctor's orders the other day were - "you can do anything that doesn't cause pain" because pain is indicative of further damage and irritation.

So, with that I decided to bid adieu to the last shred of hope that I might have a miraculous recovery and be ready to fly and race next week.  In fact the problem area continues to get worse...

Mental Status:

The decision had been pretty much made for a few days in my mind.  I was pretty bummed about it.  Today's ride provided a bit of perspective for me...

I thought back to my first attempts on the bike after losing my leg.  I remembered how happy I was just to be there, spinning the pedals.  The feeling of reclaiming lost territory.  It made it harder to be disappointed about an injury and missing a few 'important' races.

I kept thinking about my new favourite mantra:

Focus on what you CAN DO, and DO IT.

So I turned the page and began looking forward...

More photos:

Linda was my physio back in 1995 - she has worked non-stop with amputees for over 15 years.  She is one of the more incredible people you will meet.  Amazingly dedicated and talented at her job.

My bike, loaded up and needing a wash.  

Tweet this!

Overcoming Adversity

On Tuesday I was proud to be able to speak to a great group of about 30 people from GF Strong Rehabilitation Centre in Vancouver.

I have been volunteering at GF Strong for a while now and have enjoyed helping other amputees with various aspects of their recoveries.  Sometimes we just chat, sometimes we ride bikes, sometimes we run....  all in all, I guess I try to demonstrate that an active life is still a reality and that the rewards are even more poignant when it requires extra work to overcome adversity.

That was what I talked about on Tuesday - Overcoming Adversity, Goal Setting, Using a Process to Achieve your Goals.  I also showed a few pictures and told a bunch of stories about my own exploits to illustrate the rewards when these things are done properly (and the failures when they aren't!)

I really enjoyed the opportunity and found the stories shared by the people in the room to be very inspirational.  I even got a pineapple for my efforts - which was most fortunate given the pineapple addiction I have after 2 weeks in Hawaii! 

                                                           A few folks from the group

                                                                    Chris and myself

Tweet this!