Envision a grueling 130-mile, 24-hour-long race under extreme conditions. Amy Palmiero-Winters, 34, thrives in this type of battle. Some may view her love for ultramarathons as completely baffling, but few could argue that her story is one of pure courage and inspiration.
Palmiero-Winters has been a runner since age eight, when she crossed her first finish line. In high school, she ran track and cross-country. However, in 1994, her left foot was crushed in a motorcycle accident, challenging her ability to ever walk -- let alone run -- again. Although doctors wanted to amputate her foot, she wanted to keep her entire leg, enduring 25 surgeries over the next three years. Although every effort was made, her ankle began to fuse, leaving her foot barely functional. Her final viable option was the amputation she had declined years earlier.
Following her amputation, Palmiero-Winters was fitted with a walking prosthesis and resumed competing in half-marathons, marathons and triathlons. She did well despite not having a prosthetic leg specifically for running. After hearing about Erik Schaffer, owner of A Step Ahead Prosthetics in Hicksville, NY, she decided to quit her job as a welder and move to Long Island, NY to become a member of Team A Step Ahead, a group of elite amputee athletes. Palmiero-Winters began working full-time for A Step Ahead as the company's sports program director.
This past January 1, she won the "Run to the Future," a 24-hour race in Glendale, AZ, by running 130.4 miles. This performance earned her the distinction of being the first amputee to qualify for the U.S. National Track and Field Team. In April, Palmiero-Winters received the Amateur Athletic Union's (AAU) Sullivan Award for her efforts, recognizing her as the nation's top amateur athlete. And in July, she received an ESPY Award for the top female athlete with a disability. Last month, Palmiero-Winters received the Women’s Sports Foundation’s 2010 Wilma Rudolph Courage Award, Challenged Athletes Foundation’s Sempra Energy Trailblazer Award, and the Huffington Post's Ultimate Game Changers in Sport Award.
Palmiero-Winters has a truly incredible resume, competing in some of the world’s most grueling ultramarathon races. These races include the International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) 24-Hour World Championships in Brive, France this past May, and the Western States Endurance Run, a 100-mile race through the Sierra Nevada, in June. As a member of the U.S. National Team, she helped the women finish fourth in Brive. At Western States, Palmiero-Winters became the first amputee to ever finish and was awarded a bronze belt buckle given to finishers who complete the race in less than 30 hours. Named as one of the Washington Post’s top 10 runners of the decade, she will compete in the Ultraman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii, which consists of a 6.2-mile swim, 261.4-mile bike and 52.4-mile run, from Nov. 26-28.
Palmiero-Winters is not just an exceptional athlete. ... She is a mother of two (Carson 7, Madilynn 5), mentor, coach and a compassionate individual who uses her talent to give back to others. She provides motivational speeches and runs marathons pushing wheelchair-bound children, attempting to inspire them to push beyond their obstacles. Her tragic story turned triumphant gives hope to people -- both able-bodied and amputees -- and proves that nothing is impossible.
"We all have two choices when faced with adversity: give up or be better in spite of," Palmiero-Winters told StrengthUSA.com. "We can learn from the obstacles we face because we can't change the past. ... But we can change the future."
