Hey everyone!
It’s been crazy with the competition season picking up but I wanted to get something in during April as it is Limb Loss Awareness Month! On a flight to a meet I was looking over some of the Amputee Coalition’s Paddy Rossbach Youth Camp paperwork and was inspired that while life has handed us some adversity: living with a limb difference or limb loss, it also has a few perks…
I love fun.
- You learn to understand differences on a global scale. Amputation is weird because it doesn’t discriminate on race, gender, age, whatever! No amputation level is ever exactly the same as anyone else’s, so you learn to find solidarity in people, even fellow amputees, in other ways.
- Parking. For obvious reasons. But also perks like concert seating, fast passes at amusement parks and even priority airline boarding!
vroom vroom
- You find a lot of uses for random household items. I use clear bra straps to make sure my slide sandals stay on, we use lipstick to mark socket fittings, pretty much any item can be used in a way to either enhance or learn about your prosthetic.
- You can re-route your thinking, especially when it comes to walking places. Let’s be real, most amputees have a planned trajectory of HOW they will walk before they decided WHERE they are walking too. So we usually are able to find the easiest, most efficient way there!
This is me figuring out the best way through the ropes course!
- It helps fuel your creativity. Nothing is impossible, sometimes you just have to find different ways to accomplish a task that seems a little daunting. Most amputees have had to find creative ways to put on shoes, boots, pants, etc at least one time in their life. (PS I use a grocery bag to help me put my snowboard boots on my prosthetic foot!)
New uses for his rotator.
Coffee is a theme here. - You realize the importance of knowing yourself. On an internal but also external way. There was a time I had soup late at night and couldn’t put my leg on the next day…. That’s how I learned foods high in sodium makes you expand. Whoa. Your limb health is totally a microcosm for your entire body’s overall health. It’s kind of neat to have that way to measure and take note of yourself!
- Back up parts. Especially as the years accumulate. These components come with WARRANTIES! Make sure you know what they are and get good use out of it!
Look at all those legs!
- You can change your tan, or get a cool tattoo. Well, at least for one part of your body. Footshells come in a variety of colors so you can plan ahead for a bronzed summer or not. Not to mention the newest prosthetic fairing trend which is SO COOL!
legs on point.
- There are more, creative job opportunities. I have come across a LOT of patient advocates which is a really important role to play in the community. It’s a niche market but we are not only available but very much capable to help! You learn the value of working hard everyday when it comes to mobility, why not appreciate that same sense of hard work when it comes to your job?
Amputee running clinics. Weird, right? Awesome, DEFINITELY.
- You have a greater appreciation of mobility. More often than not, amputees have acquired their limb loss later in life so they actually had experiences BEFORE their amputations. Gratitude is a powerful tool, and it’s always helpful to have around in any circumstance.
Just some bosses tying some laces.
Obviously I am making light of a serious disability, but I like to think that just as the glass is half empty, it’s also half full. We are given the opportunity to experience both sides and learn how to make lemonade out of the lemons of limb loss!
L.
Shout out and so much love and appreciation for my camp family and Ottobock family for showing me a life richer than I could have ever imagined!
This morning I received news that a friend of mine, fellow camp counselor and cancer survivor passed away yesterday.
I find it hard to articulate how I feel each time I lose someone to cancer. I’m not sure what is more unsettling; the stupid fact that people are still actually dying from it or that I forget and am surprised at how deeply I am still affected by this disease.
Carla was a quiet fighter and a soft but strong leader. My girl loved to dress up and look good. She knew that having to go through cancer, and even worse the treatment, it was important to revel in the little things to make yourself feel better. She worked for her self esteem and she empowered her young campers to do the same for themselves. We shared the same first year as counselors together in 2010, and I know it changed all of us. As children, camp was a place of refuge and safety. Who you are was all that mattered, not what you’ve been through or what you look like. As adults, camp was a place of empowerment. To see just how much our daily lives are a testament to those who wonder how they will get through even another day in the bodies that they’re in.
After cancer, I now have camp that continues to teach me important lessons about life. That our bodies are like envelopes that are just the carrying case for the more important part of who we are. We are the message inside these beat up, worn down and broken bodies. No matter how we arrive the message remains clear that it is not how we are but who we are that holds value. The message is where we both find strength but also get to write our own ways to find it when it’s needed. Our value is not in the battles we face but rather how we fight. What has happened to us is not punishment. We are not what has happened to us nor will we ever be. But because of what happened to us, we are blessed with the opportunity to find the sources of strength some will never even know they have.
Our bodies betrayed us, and it changed the way we are carried. But people betray themselves all the time. The difference between me and someone who has never had cancer, or lost a limb is that we found the most powerful part of our body is our mind. When your body betrays you with cancer, you don’t get very many chances for “do-overs.” When you’re betrayed by your mind it’s hard to see or even take that kind of accountability. That kind of betrayal can last a lifetime.
So while I take today to reassess where I am and what I am doing in my career, I am checking in with myself and feel even more faithful in my message. I want my letter to read that even though my body betrayed me; my mind was stronger. While an outside part of you is broken, weaker, or even missing you will find that the only part of you that dictates what you do will be the fire that burns within. My chapter in sport right now is a testament for those with and without disabilities to see that we are not what happens to us; we are not our weakest asset but rather we are our strongest asset and we get to choose who we want to be.
You are not thrown into the fire, you are the fire.
I’m blessed to have known Carla, to see her lead and to watch her grace up until her final days. Thank you for your living testament and you don’t even need your envelope anymore; your letter is being received.
L.
Hey friends!
I will be in San Diego for a few things along with my Ottobock Team.
The 24th of February, we will be hosting an Ottobock 360 event where you can learn about the latest and greatest devices coming out. You can get more information and RSVP here.
But wait- THERE’S MORE
That Friday, the 26th of February I will be hosting another Fitness Revolution where you can try out a running system compliments of my Ottobock team, and I will help teach you some tricks and techniques for stepping up your running game. The event will be totally free, including our 3S80 Fitness Knee and 1E90 Running Feet trials AND even lunch. You can register for that event here.
Can’t wait to meet and greet!
L.
I thought this would be something very fitting to share on World Cancer Day. As a cancer survivor, I can tell you first hand how difficult, ugly and scary the disease is. It has taken friends and family members from us too soon. As a person undergoing treatment one of the most exhausting things you have to do is to “stay strong,” even through the pain.
Cancer has changed my life in every way imaginable. As much as it has taken away it also brought an abundance of opportunities and people that I would have never had the chance to come across.
Although cancer is an incredibly unique experience; the adverse effects of it are not. Suffering and loss is not a condition or state only meant for those who have been afflicted with some sort of heavy burden they carry in their lives- we all suffer, we all feel pain, loss, shame, guilt, what have you. But it comes down to one thing, being our most vulnerable: This is the human condition at it’s very core.
But with vulnerability, after loss and pain comes strength and growth. This is a renaissance of life as we know it; in our own unique ways. That is something I love to find in each person I’ve ever known and see what really keeps their momentum going even when they feel their strength reserves are at an all time low.
So last week, regardless of where they were in their lives, I asked a lot of my friends the question “What is a piece of advice you have given out that you need to be reminded of?”
Here are the little pearls of wisdom they shared with me, some are funny, sad, inspiring and also kind of random; but maybe one will be just the thing you needed to hear today. Stay strong and know that you are loved.
L.
25 Pieces of Advice my Friends have Given to Others (But Sometimes Need to Tell Themselves):
“The scale doesn’t define who you are.”
“You deserve all that you are working for.”
“This, too, shall pass.”
“Always wear sunscreen.”
“‘Let it go…’ I’m working on it, though.”
“You have no control over how people treat you. Only how you treat them and react.”
“Only you can create your own happiness”
“Don’t drink the water.”
“Don’t waste your focus on the 2% you can’t please”
“Communication, communication, communication”
“Love yourself more and believe in every single thing you do. Doubt kills dreams, innovation and creativity.”
“Forgive and forget”
“Many of life’s failures were people who didn’t realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”
“Having something finished is often better than having it perfect.”
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.”
“It’s a marathon, not a sprint.”
“Perspective is everything. if there is a situation that you cannot change, try to change your perspective to make it work and consequently make you happier.”
“Love yourself- your whole self- mistakes and all, no matter where you are currently in life or why/how you got there. You are your whole self, and you are meant to be at your current juncture. Keep your head up, and your heart open.”
“Think deeply; Speak gently; Love much; Laugh a lot; Work hard; Give freely…and be kind.—-seems like doing them all simultaneously can be a challenge.”
“Don’t eat grocery store sushi.”
“It’s ok to be selfish. Like on an airplane, they tell you to put your mask on before helping children and elderly. That’s because if you are not in a good spot, you are no good to anyone else.”
“Let that sh*t go!”
“The best advice is try to live by example.”
“Fear is a total cockblock”
“Honor the process that you are in.”
Please if you feel inclined add the advice that YOU have given out but maybe that YOU should also listen to in the comments!
Hey all!
I am putting my tentative outdoor season meet schedule up now in case anyone wants to come support at a track meet near you!
Keep the look out too because as the month approaches I will update the calendar for confirmed or canceled meets. Also- you will spot a few upcoming Ottobock Running clinics I will host so keep a sharp eye.
Thanks!
L.
Before the New Year I wanted to get a quick D&M (deep and meaningful) blog upon reviewing 2015 and all that has passed.
It was another year of transition, a little turmoil and a lot of learning. For me, the year was full of emotions and at times felt incredibly treacherous.
It was a sea with violent waters and while I fought, struggled, and somehow managed to keep my head above the water. (At least what feels like enough to survive.) I’m so glad that 2016 offers such hope and honestly homeostasis where the same crashing waters will calm and I will find solace in the new norms I’ve made and accepted for myself.
2015 was a year of gratitude for my family, and the families I have made for myself throughout my life. I learned that, as humans, the families we are born into often unintentionally create shaky foundations, but that’s why we hold each other up now, with the families that we have chosen for ourselves.
So while 2015 can keep the tears cried and all the heartbreak felt; it was a tremendous year of growth and self reflection. Going into the New Year I have three top priorities to keep in mind.
1. Be Brave.
But remember that courage isn’t trying something without being afraid. Bravery is going for it even while you carry along the shadow so often known as fear. Sometimes being courageous is taking baby steps along the way and slowly chipping away at the fear you hold on to. It’s a process.
2. Be Kind.
It isn’t easy, especially when it is to yourself. Remember that sometimes the constraints we have in our life are done often by our own hand. The thought of making the “wrong” move is sometimes so debilitating that we are paralyzed from doing anything. With courage and kindness you often find that “wrong” and “right” decisions don’t really exist but are only stepping stones to learning and growth.
3. Be understanding.
We are all products of our own experiences. When you can put the perspective of others in light it will make the way they perceive you or a situation easier to digest. We are all trying our best but remember that people can only meet you as deeply as they’ve met themself. Try to stop asking questions and accept simply what is.
So with that, I hope the wisdom I’ve gained in 2015 will hopefully give some guidance in 2016. Happy New Year and be grateful for the experiences, even the hard ones, yet to come.
With love, sayonara 2015. Long but not forgotten!
L.
This August I had a quick stop in Lincoln, Nebraska to work with my Ottobock family instructing another running clinic with some super star amputees.
working on drills
The particular gentleman I’m sharing with you all is Bob White. He is the athletic director at Lincoln High School, and just an over all super-nice guy.
Me and Bob
Before I spoke to Bob, he came up to me and asked if I had remembered meeting him. He was so excited and I felt gutted that I had absolutely no recollection of meeting him. (In my defense, I do a LOT of clinics/trips/trade shows and meet new people literally everyday) Since I (sometimes unfortunately) live in a world of perpetual honesty, I told him I was having a hard time remembering where I had met him…
Background story time!
In 2014 I was at the USATF (able-bodied) Outdoor National Championships in Sacramento, CA. I was with my Colorado track crew and boldly pretending to be their coach (mostly so I could go inside and load up on the free gatorade and air conditioning). When I say “boldly,” I was demanding towels and fresh water for their ice baths… I walked around with such an inflated sense of authority I almost had myself convinced of my elite level coaching skills…
A USATF official bolted towards me, and boy, I was ready to THROW-DOWN (mostly because I wasn’t supposed to be in the sports-med area, and I just didn’t feel like leaving since I was probably in trouble) I was wearing shorts, and this meet worker starts asking about my leg. Before I know it, he is lifting up his pant leg comparing his prosthetic to mine and asking how and why I did so well. I gave him all of the info about the C-leg I’m wearing, and fast forward to this Lincoln trip, Bob the USATF official, made a big change to his very own C-leg. He is doing awesome.
It was so cool to have a moment like this, where my life had connected to very different, but also very similar moments to create a full circle. Bob helps elite athletes at one of the highest profile track meet (arguably in the world) and here he came, a little nervous, but excited to try and run for the first time in 7 years. He wants to keep up with his own kids he coaches and it was my pleasure to get him up and going. We laughed and worked on drills and it was truly an honor and a gift to work with Bob. Bob you da best!
Lincoln Amputee Running Clinic
Going into my preseason workouts, gearing up for 2016, Bob is now my inspiration. The emotional and physical come down from high profile track meets, like the World Championships is never easy. Getting back on the horse isn’t a fun ride either. Returning to training sometimes has you feeling like a baby giraffe learning to walk again, all aloof with these appendages that are supposed to help you succeed. Bob was truly a kind and positive influence on me. I may have helped him run again but it is him, and the many people like him whom I have the honor to meet, that keep me running.
Thank you.
2016, here we go.
Hi Everyone!
I finally feel like I have my brain back after traveling back from Doha. Off season is going GREAT and I’m slowly catching back up on my life.
Just a quick moment to let you all know an article came out where I was interviewed by Amplitude magazine about fitness apps and the latest fitness technology. You can get access to the online edition here, where I share my personal thoughts and opinion about Ottobock’s Fitness App for Amputees as well as my love affair with my FitBit. (My part is on page 21)
I also recently received a Leaf by BellaBeat and will plan on publishing a comparision within a few weeks between the two devices.
Thank you all for you love, time and support!
L.
Hi!
I’m pretty sure this will be my final schedule with all of my events. I jump first and was also fortunate enough to qualify for the 100m which I will run a week later.
For updated results and to watch LIVE please go to Doha2015.org
Here is my schedule in local (Qatar) time (hopefully as well as the correct pacific/mountain standard times)
22/10/2015-16:20-Women F42 Long Jump- Final (06:20 PST/ 07:20 MST)
22/10/2016-19:24-Women F42 Long Jump- Medal Ceremony (09:24 PST/ 10:24 MST)
29/10/2015-16:48-Women T42 100m-Semifinal 1 (06:48 PST/07:48 MST)
29/10/2015-16:56-Women T42 100m- Semifinal 2 (06:56 PST/07:56 MST)
30/10/2015-16:08-Women T42 100m- Final (06:08 PST/ 07:08 MST)
30/10/2015-17:00-Women T42 100m- Medal Ceremony (07:00 PST/ 08:00 MST)
Thank you for the love and support as always! Be sure to follow the site for updates throughout the competition as well.
Love
L.
You know, it’s been coined “The Hardest Team in the World To Make…” and anyone who has ever been blessed enough to be a member of Team USA I’m sure will agree with that statement. So honored to compete now on my SECOND World Championship Team. I am en route today and as I reflect on this year, this life; I am so overwhelmed with gratitude for every single person being a part of this incredible journey. It’s hard to shift your focus from results only to appreciating the process and I am so thankful for every part of my life that has brought me to this moment. I’m surrounded by love and intelligent individuals everyday that support me in every dream I choose to persue. That is truly a gift and it takes a village. Please know you are appreciated and your love and support carries me throughout all the highs and the lows.Great job, great people, great life. Thank you all again and go USA!
stretching with fellow team mate Trenten Merril for pre-Worlds training
Here is the most recent article done with my journey to Doha this year and continual road I’m building to Rio 2016 done by Daliah Singer and 5280 Magazine. Feel free to read and get some insight on everything so far!
Lacey J Henderson 