We caught up with Sam Schaefer working out on the TRUEFORM.™ Runner. We talked about rehabbing from a lower leg amputation and his journey to qualifying for and competing in major CrossFit competitions and setting 3 (yes THREE) world records in the adaptive class of the Highland Games.
"I’m the most fortunate guy who ever had to choose to cut his leg off. While I was on active duty in the Air Force I sustained an injury to my left ankle while training in Mississippi. Unfortunately, the trauma resulted in Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS), which resulted in a constant state of pain for 9 straight years without ever getting a moment out of pain.
The condition deteriorated over the course of 9 years and the cost of doing nothing became too much. I chose my only option left, a below-the-knee amputation. At this point, I required the use of a forearm crutch to just walk. On August 26, 2020, I woke up pain-free for the first time in 9 years, courtesy of Dr. Matthew Felder. Since then things have been onward and upwards. I have picked up multiple new hobbies I never got to do before like skateboarding and hiking.
I have gotten back to previous hobbies and was a part of the first-ever all-amputee team to qualify for and compete in a major CrossFit competition. As well as setting 3 world records in the adaptive class of the Highland Games. Amputation has been an incredible solution to getting my life back. I couldn’t be more grateful.
