<img class="" style="float: right;" src="https://opedge.com/Content/OldArticles/images/2006-09_04/4-1.jpg" width="189" height="251" hspace="4" vspace="4" /> It is fitting that this month as the nation reflects on the fifth anniversary of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, and the thousands of lives lost that day, that we look within our own community at amputees who have entered, returned to, or attempted to return to, protective service careers following or despite a disability. <h4>Protective Services Heroes</h4> In <a href="https://opedge.com/2982">"Amputees Fight for Right to Serve"</a> , Sherry Metzger writes about amputees working in protective services as police officers, firefighters, and paramedics--without limitations. Without a doubt, there is inspiration in every story of each patient served by the O&P profession, but these brave men and women stand above the crowd. <h4>Extreme Athletic Heroes</h4> Also in this issue we cover the recent <a href="https://opedge.com/2983">O&P Extremity Games by College Park</a>. It was a first-class event and a true celebration of many of the athletic heroes in the O&P community. As part of the event, the first Jeffrey Winfield Green Award was given to Amy Purdy. The award states, "The Jeffrey Winfield Green award is of the highest honor and given to an individual, nominated by fellow athletes and peers. This individual's outgoing personality and friendly, helping attitude makes everyone who they come in contact with feel better about themselves." Green was an entrepreneur, devoted O&P speaker and educator, and most recently, manager of Technical Services Training at SPS. He died in January, 2006, in an auto accident. "Amy Purdy was a tremendous asset to the 2006 Extremity Games," said College Park Marketing and Communications Manager Beth Geno in commenting on the award. "As a bilateral BK amputee and co-founder of Adaptive Action Sports, Amy helped coordinate 13 athletes to attend the Games, while training to compete in wakeboarding. Her positive influence has gone beyond Adaptive Action Sports and was shown at the event." <h4>Hero of Humor</h4> We also applaud another type of hero, US Paralympian and comedian Josh Blue of Denver, Colorado, who was chosen the winner of NBC's Last Comic Standing on the show's season finale in August. Blue, who was born with cerebral palsy, began playing soccer in the backyard with the family when he was just ten years old. Blue went on to make the US Paralympic Soccer Team in 2001, and he qualified for the 2004 US Paralympic Soccer Team that competed at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece. For more about Josh Blue, visit his website, <a href="https://opedge.com/2984">www.joshblue.com</a>. For more information about US Paralympics, visit <a href="https://opedge.com/2823">www.usparalympics.org</a> <h4>Super Humans</h4> We may not have any real-life superheroes to protect us from the uncertainties of the dangerous world that we live in post 9/11, but we are fortunate to be surrounded by countless super humans who give hope and inspiration both within our own little O&P corner of the universe and beyond. <img style="float: right;" src="https://opedge.com/Content/OldArticles/images/2006-09_04/Tina-Sig.25.gif" hspace="4" vspace="4" /> Thanks for reading.
<img class="" style="float: right;" src="https://opedge.com/Content/OldArticles/images/2006-09_04/4-1.jpg" width="189" height="251" hspace="4" vspace="4" /> It is fitting that this month as the nation reflects on the fifth anniversary of the tragic events of September 11, 2001, and the thousands of lives lost that day, that we look within our own community at amputees who have entered, returned to, or attempted to return to, protective service careers following or despite a disability. <h4>Protective Services Heroes</h4> In <a href="https://opedge.com/2982">"Amputees Fight for Right to Serve"</a> , Sherry Metzger writes about amputees working in protective services as police officers, firefighters, and paramedics--without limitations. Without a doubt, there is inspiration in every story of each patient served by the O&P profession, but these brave men and women stand above the crowd. <h4>Extreme Athletic Heroes</h4> Also in this issue we cover the recent <a href="https://opedge.com/2983">O&P Extremity Games by College Park</a>. It was a first-class event and a true celebration of many of the athletic heroes in the O&P community. As part of the event, the first Jeffrey Winfield Green Award was given to Amy Purdy. The award states, "The Jeffrey Winfield Green award is of the highest honor and given to an individual, nominated by fellow athletes and peers. This individual's outgoing personality and friendly, helping attitude makes everyone who they come in contact with feel better about themselves." Green was an entrepreneur, devoted O&P speaker and educator, and most recently, manager of Technical Services Training at SPS. He died in January, 2006, in an auto accident. "Amy Purdy was a tremendous asset to the 2006 Extremity Games," said College Park Marketing and Communications Manager Beth Geno in commenting on the award. "As a bilateral BK amputee and co-founder of Adaptive Action Sports, Amy helped coordinate 13 athletes to attend the Games, while training to compete in wakeboarding. Her positive influence has gone beyond Adaptive Action Sports and was shown at the event." <h4>Hero of Humor</h4> We also applaud another type of hero, US Paralympian and comedian Josh Blue of Denver, Colorado, who was chosen the winner of NBC's Last Comic Standing on the show's season finale in August. Blue, who was born with cerebral palsy, began playing soccer in the backyard with the family when he was just ten years old. Blue went on to make the US Paralympic Soccer Team in 2001, and he qualified for the 2004 US Paralympic Soccer Team that competed at the 2004 Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece. For more about Josh Blue, visit his website, <a href="https://opedge.com/2984">www.joshblue.com</a>. For more information about US Paralympics, visit <a href="https://opedge.com/2823">www.usparalympics.org</a> <h4>Super Humans</h4> We may not have any real-life superheroes to protect us from the uncertainties of the dangerous world that we live in post 9/11, but we are fortunate to be surrounded by countless super humans who give hope and inspiration both within our own little O&P corner of the universe and beyond. <img style="float: right;" src="https://opedge.com/Content/OldArticles/images/2006-09_04/Tina-Sig.25.gif" hspace="4" vspace="4" /> Thanks for reading.