Amputees with prosthetics found a welcome home in the world of rowing late in the 20th century. The first international rowing regatta for the disabled, also known as adaptive racing, was held in Sydney, Australia, in 1988. A number of above-the-knee and below-the-knee amputees took to rowing as a sport they could compete in on equal terms. Or, as one rower put it, "without any compromise in the rules, equipment, or technique." In some cases, rowers with prosthetics work with the manufacturers of the devices in order to tailor their prosthetics to the particular demands of rowing. Elite rowers with prosthetics compete in the World Championships and Paralympics, the most prestigious events in adaptive racing.
Benefits of Rowing
According to the Action Brace & Prosthetics website, an estimated one out of every 200 people in the U.S. have an amputated limb. Amputees have the same exercise needs as everyone else, but sometimes they are limited in their choice of sports and workout equipment. As rower Ryan Hurd puts it, "Have you ever seen a one-legged guy on an elliptical machine? It doesn't work well." Hurd lost a leg in an accident with a lawn mover when he was 5 years old, and struggled to participate in traditional sports. Needing to improve his fitness, Hurd joined a gym at the age of 30, and found himself intrigued by a rowing machine. He eventually joined an Masters rowing program at the Indianapolis Rowing Center, which enriches his life in many ways, from physical fitness to the camaraderie of teammates to stress reduction. "The rest of life's problems are left at the dock. It's a great therapeutic and physical release."
Prosthetics for Rowers
Although amputees can row with or without prosthetics, both legs are necessary to row with maximum power and efficiency. Rowing with a prosthetic is relatively non-traumatic. However, prosthetic ankles don't have the same range of motion as human ankles. BK -- below the knee -- amputees have a big edge over AK amputees, since rowing requires a considerable amount of knee flexibility and extension.
Improvements
Indianapolis rower Hurd worked with the people at Action Brace & Prosthetics to design improvements in the workings of the ankle and knee of his prosthetic. An ankle component was designed to flex back and forth. The knee joint was designed to bend and function at the speed rowing requires. In Britain, the lone amputee rowing in a four-person mixed team at the World Championship, worked with Pace Rehabilitation on a new prosthetic socket.
Princeton heavyweight rower Jesse Karmazin, one of the first amputee college rowers, used his walking rower, with a stiff ankle, before the A Step Ahead prosthetics company furnished a prosthetic with a freely rotating ankle. There also are prosthetic devices with an ankle pin that users can unlock for rowing and lock for standing and walking.
Considerations
USRowing, the governing body of the sport in America, invites interested amputee and other physically and mentally disabled athletes to participate in its Talent OKC Program at its rowing center in Oklahoma City, a training site for the US Olympic and Paralympics teams. Anyone with a background in any sport between the ages of 18 and 35 is eligible to apply.
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