GET CONNECTED 

Join the movement to inspire others to elevate! People living with limb loss or limb difference thrive in life by focusing on ways to elevate. Sponsored by the Amputee Coalition, the Inspire to Elevate campaign brings awareness to limb loss and limb difference through a series of national TV public service announcements and publications. Get involved today! 

Learn more about Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month at
https://www.amputee-coalition.org/events-programs/limb-loss-awareness-month/.

inMotion Special Edition Now Available

Complete the form below to access and download the Inspire to Elevate magazine edition.

INSPIRE TO ELEVATE VIDEOS

Be inspired by watching the #InspireToElevate PSAs!

CONQUER

30 seconds

PERSERVERE

30 seconds

ACHIEVE

30 seconds

THRIVE

15 seconds

ELEVATE

15 seconds

FEATURED SPOKESPERSONS

Femita Ayanbeku

Femita Ayanbeku is a sprinter in international track and field, a two-time Paralympian, and a world championships bronze medalist. She set an American record in the 100 meters during the Paralympic Trials in 2021.

The Boston native underwent below-knee amputation on her right leg after she was thrown from the car during a crash when she was 11 years old.

Femita was profiled in an article in inMotion magazine last year.

“My goal on a daily basis is to make sure people see my prosthetic leg,” she said. “I want them to see my confidence and to be able to take that for themselves.”

Zyra Gorecki

Zyra Gorecki stars as Izzy Harris on the NBC science-fiction drama “La Brea” and is one of the first people with limb loss or limb difference to be a regular on a network television show.

Zyra began her career as a model, and her other television credits include “Chicago Fire” and “The Kelly Clarkson Show.”

She underwent below-knee amputation of her left leg after a logging accident when she was a teenager.

“To be a person that other amputees [and] other limb-different people can look up to and say, ‘I can do that, I can do this, I can achieve my dreams,’ is a completely indescribable feeling,” she said in People magazine in 2021.

Jessica Heims

Jessica Heims is another two-time Paralympian and a true track-and-field athlete.

On the track, she finished fifth in the 400 meters at the 2015 world championships. In the field, in the same competition, she also placed fifth in the discus.

Jessica added another fifth-place showing in the discus at the most recent Paralympics in Tokyo.

She is also a graduate of the Amputee Coalition Youth Camp. After being born with amniotic band syndrome, she underwent below-knee amputation on her left leg when she was 1 year old.

John Register

John Register is a Paralympic silver medalist in track and field and a veteran of the Persian Gulf War. He recently assumed the post of chairman of the Amputee Coalition board of directors after serving as acting president and CEO of the Amputee Coalition.

John set an American record in the long jump when he won a silver medal in the 2000 Sydney Paralympics. He finished fifth in the 100 and 200 meters at those games.

An All-American performer in track at the University of Arkansas before serving in the Army, John aspired to compete in the 1996 Olympics before an accident over a hurdle in training led to amputation of his left leg.

Brandon Sonnier

Brandon Sonnier is a writer and television producer who created the series “L.A.’s Finest,” a spinoff of the “Bad Boys” movie franchise. He served as executive story editor on the Emmy Award-winning show “The Blacklist” and just last year wrote an episode of “S.W.A.T.”

Brandon underwent below-knee amputation of his right leg after he was injured on the set of “L.A.’s Finest.” He was struck while watching a vehicle stunt scene being filmed.

“I hold on to my sense of purpose, which helps me with the feeling of loss that comes from an amputation,” he said in an inMotion profile. “Although it’s a challenge, I reframe my thinking to focus on the things I get to do.”

Gary Weiland

Gary Weiland lives by the motto “Adapt and Overcome,” which he has turned into a brand. He returned to full duty as a firefighter less than a year after undergoing below-knee amputation of his left leg.

Last year he appeared on “American Ninja Warrior,” and he is featured in the documentary “Becoming the Ultimate Ninja.” Gary is also a children’s book author and motivational speaker.

“I am quite busy, but I don’t want to take one second of this life for granted,” Gary wrote when he told his story on the #WeTHRIVE blog. “I truly believe that you can do anything you put your mind to.”

ABOUT THE CAMPAIGN

The Amputee Coalition is the only national nonprofit organization that serves all individuals who experience limb loss or limb difference. With the mission to support, educate, and advocate for people impacted by limb loss and limb difference, we are dedicated to ensuring that no one faces limb loss alone. We work to provide vital resources to people with limb loss and limb difference, as well as their families and caregivers. With these resources, they can recover, readjust, and live the life they most want to live.

Limb loss affects people of all backgrounds, all income levels, and all ages. More than 2.7 million people live with limb loss or limb difference in the United States. Hundreds of people lose a limb every day. By 2050, the number of amputees in the U.S. will nearly double. Amputee Coalition launched the Inspire to Elevate campaign April 2023 in celebration of Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month. The year-round initiative is designed to elevate awareness about the limb loss and limb difference community.

The purpose of this national awareness campaign is to increase public visibility and awareness for Amputee Coalition’s cause. The overall goal is to spread the word about our mission, vision, and values, explain why they matter, and show supporters how they can get involved.

The key messages in the national TV PSAs highlight:

• Elevate Your Story. Tell people about your experience through our #WeTHRIVE campaign.
• Elevate Your Voice. Learn to advocate on behalf of the community with legislators and others who can bring about change.
• Elevate Your Community. Get involved and inspire others to get involved to make sure no amputee is alone.
• Elevate Your Potential. Empower yourself to live your best life.

Learn more about the Amputee Coalition and how to get involved at https://www.amputee-coalition.org.

IN THE NEWS

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release
Contact: Jerrica Thurman, Chief Strategy & Communications Officer, jerrica@amputee-coalition.org

Amputee Coalition Broadcasts #InspireToElevate National Television PSAs

(April 3, 2023, Washington, D.C.) The Amputee Coalition will broadcast a series of national television public service announcements (PSAs) to promote its new #InspireToElevate campaign starting April 2023. The year-round initiative raises awareness about limb loss and limb difference, which is becoming less uncommon every day. The series highlights three 30-second videos and two 15-second videos featuring prominent people living with limb loss and limb difference.

Read the full article

SOCIAL MEDIA

Help promote the Inspire to Elevate campaign by sharing the television PSAs on social media using #InspireToElevate.

QUOTES 

The Amputee Coalition’s powerful PSAs ignite the unyielding spirit of the limb loss and limb difference community, showcasing our unbreakable resilience. The highlighted stories demonstrate how we shatter limits, conquer challenges, and redefine the impossible, inspiring the world around us!

John Register, Board Chair, Amputee Coalition

The national PSAs speak volumes about where the organization is headed to create awareness across various professional disciplines. Timing is everything in business, releasing the PSAs during Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month represents one of our core values that we see you.

Dr. Alicia M. Straughter, Vice President of Human Resources, D&I, and the Youth Engagement Program, Amputee Coalition

Amputee Coalition is excited to elevate the phenomenal stories about how people can thrive while living with limb loss and limb difference in this power-packed PSA series. We are committed to increasing support for our community members and celebrating their positive contributions to society through their extraordinary, triumphant life experiences that offer inspiration to all. We are proud of the impact our community members make every day and hope the PSA series shed a glimpse of the tremendous value and abilities that people living with limb loss and limb difference have.

Jerrica Thurman, Chief Strategy and Communications Officer, Amputee Coalition

One of the key tenets of the Amputee Coalition is “no amputee alone.” This means that the Amputee Coalition works to ensure that no amputee feels alone at any point in their journey with limb loss or limb difference.  These PSAs will help build awareness for all of the wonderful support and information available through the Amputee Coalition.

Seth McLaughlin, Amputee Coalition Board Member,  Founder & President, Springfield Advisors

Empowering individuals with limb loss and limb difference to prosper in their lives and pursuits is our purpose, our passion. Join the Amputee Coalition to celebrate Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness this April. Together we can #InspireToElevate all for full participation and engagement in our communities.

Justin Moore, Amputee Coalition Board Member; Chief Executive Officer, American Physical Therapy Association (APTA)