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Above Knee Catherine Barrette Brian Bemis Brenda Besse Romeo Carrano Dale Perkins Matt Perkins Jim Young Cindy Mercer Jim Strohmeyer Below Knee Alex Bensching Chris Bretoi Dan Cox James Daniels Buddy Elias Doug Finkbeiner Sean Fitzgibbon Kenny Green Chris Johnson Abby Kate Karafa Brandon Kline Nelson Lathrop David Light Ron Mann Garry Moore Jerry Mullis Geoff Nicholas Kimberly Olson Alma Patti Von Ruder Philip Sheridan Danny Stevens Tim Sutherland Johnny Wilson Bilateral Bridgette Brugh AJ Digby Jim McCook John Mutton Reggie Showers Bob Zahler Log In Create an Account Phone: (586) 294-7950 (800) 728-7950 E-mail info@college-park.com Name: Von Ruder Occupation: O&P Technician Type of Amputation: Left, BK Von Ruder has been enthusiastic about rock climbing since his childhood. Early on, Von scrambled, which is off trail, non-technical rock climbing. As an adult in the early nineties, he discovered a passion for free climbing. "I am very passionate about my rock climbing, and my Venture is a big part of that, especially since I boulder and free ascend. There are no ropes or safety gear, so foot security is paramount," he says. In 1983, Von was involved in a motorcycle accident which resulted in the amputation of his left leg, below the knee. Following his amputation, he was fitted with several SACH feet, and in 1999, an Ohio Willow Wood Pathfinder Foot. "Up until I tried the Venture, I didn't know that there wasn't anything I didn't like about the Pathfinder," he admits. Von decided to give the Venture Foot a try in 2006, after almost 6 years on the Pathfinder Foot. "I knew from experience with others' prostheses that the Venture was light and strong, but still could actually feel a difference despite my preconceived knowledge of the Venture's characteristics," Von states. "The Venture has all the functionality of a heavier foot with half the weight. The lightness is essential to climbing." Von recalls his first rock climbing excursion on his new Venture Foot. "The first trip rock climbing was such a thrill- to climb with a featherweight prosthesis due to the new foot. The other attributes of the Venture surprised me. It had such great flex and rotation capabilities. They were slight, but noticeable, creating comfort when walking and a sure footed proprioception not found in other prosthetic feet." "I would not climb on any foot other than a Venture! Anytime it's the perfect foot, but on the rock is when it shines. I really feel the difference. I climb solo with no ropes or gear, so I count on my feet. With the Venture, I can be thinking about something else because I know I can count on my feet! From an O&P Technicians view, it's just the right choice!" An Orthotic and Prosthetic Technician at O&P Clinical Technologies since 2004, Von got into the profession after meeting his current prosthetist, Paul Prusakowski, and discovering that it is possible to be comfortable as an amputee. "Paul built me my first truly comfortable leg back in 1999, and I wanted to spread the word that it is possible to have a comfortable prosthesis," Von declares. "That is how it all began." In 2006, Von established a rock climbing chapter of Disabled Sports USA called Planetkind Sports, Inc. Planetkind is a nonprofit organization which offers Adaptive rock climbing clinics and personalized adaptive equipment for its members. ________________________________________ Send us your feedback so we can make your online ordering experience better!

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Download the original attachment OPBN03B07ruder Feature Extremity Games Athlete Profile Art: Photos from Ruder and from College Park Word Count: 942 Contacts: Von Ruder 352.331.4221 By Andrew Kelly Fueling the Competitive Fire Von Ruder, an experienced and accomplished rock-climber, thought he had done it all when it came to climbing. What he saw at the 2006 Extremity Games reminded him he still has plenty to learn. Up until last summer, Von Ruder never considered himself the competitive type. It was on a humid day in July when he found himself lined up against another amputee rock climber at last year’s inaugural Extremity Games by College Park, held in Orlando, Fla., that his attitude drastically changed. The 30-second competitive rush Ruder felt that day has built steadily throughout the past year and the lifelong climber said he cannot wait to get back. “I have never been a competitive person in my life until the Extremity Games. I was not even particularly competitive going into the first Extremity Games. Now it is like I am a whole other person. Now I am one of the most competitive climbers I can think of,” Ruder, 46, said. “When you engage in any sport in a competitive fashion it raises the bar. It forces you to be the best you can be. It brings you a focus, an energy, and an enthusiasm. … The Extremity Games ties everything together and it is by far the most therapeutic event I have ever been to.” Ruder, a transtibial amputee, lost his leg in a motorcycle accident when he was 20 years old. A self-proclaimed “wild child,” Ruder has been an avid climber and outdoorsmen for as long as he can remember. Born and raised in Florida and now living in Micanopy, Fla. (about 20 miles outside of Gainesville), Ruder said that losing his leg was a life-changing experience – but also an experience with a surprising silver lining: an unwavering focus. “As odd as it sounds, and a lot of people don’t understand it, it was probably one of the best things that ever happened to me. It has given me a focus in my life,” Ruder said. Climbing as an allegory For Ruder, it is not difficult to find the many parallels between the challenges associated with being an amputee with those of tackling the rock-climbing wall. It is all about mental strength and a strong desire to keep challenging oneself. “Rock-climbing is an allegory of being an amputee – it is about solving a problem. Solving a problem that is physical, but one that you are going to solve with your mind. Rock-climbing and being an amputee just seem like they go hand-in-hand.” Ruder’s statement rings true especially when you consider that rock-climbing was the most popular event at the 2006 Extremity Games, where climbers tackled a 24-foot wall, with up to 4 climbers competing simultaneously. Ruder, who has eight 14,000-foot climbs under his belt, went last year in part because he wanted the games to be more successful, but had never really thought about speed climbing. It is a different story this year. “I wanted to enter the games because I wanted one more person entered. I had no idea the Extremity Games were going to be as popular as they were,” Ruder said. “I didn’t really train beforehand. I climb all the time so I just kind of went at it from that angle. This year is going to be different. This year I am going to be training for speed climbing in particular because I have absolutely every intention of winning.” A communal experience Although he does not lack confidence in his own abilities, Ruder is quick to point out that the Extremity Games are about much more than who wins or loses. A climber all his life, Ruder had never climbed with another amputee until his first time up the wall in Orlando. It was a unifying feeling for Ruder to know that he was suddenly surrounded by dozens of amputee climbers who shared all of his passions. “It was like, ‘wow, all these people are in the same situation that I am in’, and it was just great. Now we can communicate about trying different legs, trying different feet, different adaptive devices for climbing. The networking that is gong on now is just phenomenal,” he said. Motivated to act Suddenly being exposed to all kinds of amputee-climbers was an eye-opening experience for Ruder, who credits last year’s games as being the impetus for starting Planetkind Sports Inc. A recently sanctioned organization, receiving recognition as a Florida DS/USA chapter in January 2007, Planetkind Sports’ mission, according to Ruder, is to educate and support athletes with limb differences to achieve lofty personal goals in an attempt to showcase that they can do all of the same things, athletically, as full-bodied athletes. One of Planetkind Sports first missions is to subsidize the travel cost and competition fees for any local athlete who is interested in making the trip to the Extremity Games. The feedback has exceeded even Ruder’s expectations. “I didn’t want to start out with too high of expectations, but there has been such a great response. A lot of amputees in the area want to get into rock-climbing and some other sports and they just need that little push to get them going – to see that there are other people getting out there doing things that are typically thought of as highly unusual for an amputee,” Ruder said. Taking the plunge in trying something different and pushing past perceived limitations is what Planetkind Sports encourages. “The Extremity Games is a life changing opportunity. I recommend to everybody, whether they are an amputee or not, whether they are disabled or not, come out to the Extremity Games and watch them – you will not be sorry.”

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