Bryanna Copeland (Bilateral Above Knee) was in an article in this month's Long Island Press discussing her daily life, volunteer work with autistic students, and plans for the future. To read the article, click the following link:
Amy Palmiero-Winters (Below Knee) was featured in an article in the July 25th edition of Newsday. The article focused on her recent accomplishments including her winning an ESPY and becoming the first amputee to finish the Western States ultramarathon. To read the full article, click the following link (Adobe PDF reader required):
A Step Ahead Prosthetics was recently featured in a four-page article and on the cover of Newsday, Long Island's most popular newspaper. We now have the entire feature in PDF format; click below to download and read about A Step Ahead's latest endeavors.
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Bryanna Copeland on CBS News
A Step Ahead patient Bryanna Copeland was featured on CBS News this past week regarding her life as an amputee. Click below to watch:
Amy Palmiero-Winters on NBC Nightly News
Amy Palmiero-Winters (Below-Knee) was on the June 16th edition of NBC Nightly News to discuss her running, her participation in the 24-Hour Ultramarathon World Championships in Brive, and her life as an amputee. You can watch the video below:
Amy Palmiero-Winters Finishes First Overall in Ultramarathon, Qualifies for US World Championship Team
For the first time in the history of competitive distance running, an athlete with a prosthetic leg has won the overall title in a race. On January 1st, 2010, below-the-knee amputee and Team A Step Ahead member Amy Palmiero-Winters took first place at the Arizona Road Racers "Run to the Future" twenty-four-hour ultramarathon. Running 217 laps of a certified six-tenths of a mile course over twenty-four hours, Amy completed 130.4 miles to place first among all runners, both male and female.
Starting at nine AM on December 31st, 2009 and finishing at nine AM on New Years' Day at the Victory Lane Sports Complex in Glendale, Arizona, Amy beat the overall male winner by fourteen miles and bettered the second-place female finisher by over thirty-six miles. Based on this performance, Amy qualified for the United States able-bodied twenty-four-hour run team that will be competing at the world championship in Brive, France in May 2010. This is the first time an amputee runner will be running against able-bodied counterparts on a world championship team.
This amazing accomplishment caps off a very busy and successful year for Amy which included running five fifty-mile trail runs as part of the North Face Challenge, two 100-mile ultramarathons which qualify her for the Western States Trail run in 2010, and fulfilling her requirements for the Adventure CORPS Badwater Ultramarathon. At the Heartland 100-mile trail run in Cassoday, Kansas, Amy finished first-place overall female, making her the first amputee to win a 100-mile race. For these endeavors, Amy was recognized by USA track and field as the athlete of the week in October More recently, she was listed by the Washington Times as one of the top ten runners of the decade. She has proven that despite physical challenges, family, and work commitments, if you believe that you can do something, you can.
Sarah Reinertsen on Cover of Long Island Magazine
Sarah Reinertsen (Above Knee) from Team A Step Ahead will be on the cover of Long Island Magazine's May 2010 issue. The article inside discusses her development as an athlete and her training for the annual Ironman Triathlon in Hawaii. To read the article, click the link below:
Paralympian and A Step Ahead patient Allison Jones was on the NBC show "The Biggest Loser" this past week. The show featured Allison at the Olympic Training Center with the program's contestants. To watch a clip, click the following link:
Amy Palmiero-Winters Featured in Runner's World, Washington Running Report
Following her amazing victory at the Arizona Road Racers' Run to the Future 24-Hour Race, Team A Step Ahead's Amy Palmiero-Winters was interviewed for Runner's World and featured in an article in Washington Running Report. To read these articles, click the following links:
On Monday, November 9th, Erik Schaffer, C.P. and Phil Kreuter, P.T. participated in the closing bell ceremony of the NASDAQ stock market. Erik and Phil were invited as guests of Ossur, Inc. Jon Sigurdsson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Ossur, rang the closing bell to mark the company's tenth year of trading publicly on NASDAQ OMX Iceland, and also commemorate its new dual listing on NASDAQ OMX Copenhagen. Representatives of Ossur’s senior management team from Iceland and the United States accompanied Mr. Sigurdsson at this event.
Amy Palmiero-Winters Named USATF Athlete of the Week
Amy Palmiero-Winters was announced as USA Track and Field’s Athlete of the Week for the week of October 21st. Amy’s winning time of 18 hours and 54 minutes in the Heartland 100 Ultramarathon in Kansas on October 11th was the second-fastest time among women in the history of the race. Her status as Athlete of the Week places her in the company of many other world-class runners and track and field athletes in the U.S.
To read this article on the USATF's website, click the following link:
Paralympian and A Step Ahead patient Allison Jones was on the NBC show "The Biggest Loser" this past week. The show featured Allison at the Olympic Training Center with the program's contestants. To watch a clip, click the following link:
Not long ago the basic perception of the fierce Adirondack winters was about enduring rather then enjoying them. On March 13th, 3 juniors and 1 adult athlete of Team A Step Ahead traveled to the Adirondack Mountains in Lake Placid, New York. Edriss Crawley-Tate (AK), Sofia Castillo (AK), Victoria Cutrone-Foley (AK) and Craig Pratka (AK) not only endured but conquered the Snowy Mountains where the Olympic Games were held in 1932 and 1980.
The athletes spent the weekend mastering the ski slopes at the Whiteface Olympic Sports complex and ice climbing the technical faces of the Adirondack Mountains in the heart of the Keene Valley. As a group they learned the fundamentals and safety of skiing and ice climbing while mastering the technical aspects of both.
The weekend was a huge success for all. The level of confidence and pride the team walked away with was immeasurable. The athletes were accompanied by Amy Palmiero-Winters and Coach Dave Balsley.
Jeff Glasbrenner featured on NBC’s coverage of the 2008 Ford Ironman World Championships
Only a few weeks after returning from Beijing, China as a member of the U.S. Wheelchair Basketball team, below-knee amputee Jeff Glasbrenner competed in his 4th Ironman competition at the 2008 Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. One of the newer members of Team A Step Ahead, Jeff is a multi-sport athlete who competes in running, triathlon and wheelchair basketball. In addition to his accomplishments as a triathelte at many distances, Jeff holds the record of 63 points scored in a wheelchair basketball game. Click the following link to view excerpts of his race at the Ironman World Championships:
Above Knee Amputee Runner Shatters Marathon World Record By More Than 45 Minutes
Hicksville, N.Y., January 20, 2009 - Sandy Dukat of Denver, Colorado, an above knee amputee and Paralympic athlete, shattered the world record for female above knee amputees at the PF Chang's Rock n' Roll Marathon in Phoenix, Arizona. On Sunday, January 18th, Ms. Dukat, a proud member of Team A Step Ahead, took on another athletic challenge by running her first marathon in a time of 4:40:46, breaking the previous above knee record of 5:27:04 held by another Team A Step Ahead athlete, Sarah Reinersten.
Prior to venturing into long distance running, Ms. Dukat has had a long and illustrious career in sports, competing in skiing, swimming, running, cycling, and triathlon. She has competed on the national and world stages in alpine skiing, culminating in a bronze medal in slalom at the 2006 Paralympic games in Torino, Italy. She has held records in swimming from the meters to 5 kilometer open water swims. She took first place at the New York City Olympic-distance triathlon in both 2007 and 2008, and won first place at the International Triathlon Union World Championships in 2008. In addition to her many competitive athletic accomplishments, in 2007 Ms. Dukat successfully climbed to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro - the highest mountain in Africa, with an elevation of 19,330 feet.
Reflecting on her first marathon after the race, Ms. Dukat said, "It is amazing how long you can push it and run fast and feel good and it is amazing how quickly it changes and you hit that wall. My marathon experience was fantastic and I'm thrilled with my overall finish. My result is a true testament to everyone who came together to support me. I want to thank Team A Step Ahead for always believing in me and for always challenging me, Coach Dave Balsley, Amy Palmiero-Winters for keeping me going and of course Erik Schaffer, owner of A Step Ahead Prosthetics who keeps making my legs faster!"
Ms. Dukat was accompanied throughout the entire race by her teammate Amy Palmiero-Winters, who is the world record holder in the marathon for female below knee amputees. Commenting on Sandy's marathon, Amy stated, "Anyone who knows Sandy knows there is nothing she can not do. Sunday's race was a true example of this. It was an honor to be a part of something so amazing." When not training and competing in sports, Ms. Dukat works for The Hartford as assistant program manager, sponsorships/ US Paralympics, coordinating their Paralympic Sponsorship program as well as doing motivational speaking.
Team A Step Ahead is a team of amputee athletes from around the world who compete in events including the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon, marathons, road races around the world, and the Paralympic Games. Team A Step Ahead's members have been very competitive against able-bodied athletes, placing and winning age group awards. Team A Step Ahead elite athletes hold or have held world records in the 100m, 200m, 400m, track and field events, the marathon and triathlons. Athletes receive training from coaches, prosthetists and physical therapists who are experts in working with amputee athletes, including world record-holding Paralympians. Team A Step Ahead is a program of A Step Ahead Prosthetics located in Hicksville, N.Y. The company's motto is "Live Life Without Limitations." For additional information on Team A Step Ahead visit www.astepaheadonline.com.
Kelly Bruno Interviewed on CBS News
Kelly Bruno of Team A Step Ahead was interviewed on CBS News regarding her participation in the 2008 US Open as the Open's first amputee ball girl.
Kelly Bruno Featured in the New York Times, New York Post
Team A Step Ahead's Kelly Bruno has been chosen to be a ball girl in the 2008 US Open - the first amputee ever to do so. She has been featured in articles in both the New York Times and New York Post regarding this feat.
Click either image on the right to view scanned copies of the articles, or click the links below to read the articles directly on each newspaper's site.
Team A Step Ahead makes a Big Impact at the Achilles Track Club Hope & Possibility 5 Mile Race
The adult and junior runners of Team A Step Ahead made a big impact at the annual Achilles Track Club Hope & Possibility 5 mile race. The event, held in New York's Central Park on June 22, is a 5 mile race that is open to able-bodied runners and athletes with disabilities. This year, Team A Step Ahead had 19 participants including 7 adult and 8 junior runners entered in a special relay and 5 adults who assisted the junior athletes.
This year, through the efforts of Amy Palmiero-Winters and Karen Lewis of the Achilles Track club, 8 Junior Team A Step Ahead athletes were given special permission to hold a 5 mile relay within the race. Ranging in age from 18 months to 14 years, the juniors successfully completed the 5 miles around Central Park. Using a custom relay baton designed by A Step Ahead for the relay handoffs, the juniors demonstrated to all the runners and spectators that you can live your life without limitations.
The relay started off with a fast pace by Robert Berger who handed the baton off to Julia Brietenbach, followed by Alexandra Capellini, James Lozano, Cate Hughes, Anthony Desano, Larry Mantilla, and Jake Lillis.
The entire junior and adult Team A Step Ahead runners met Jake so they could all cross the finish line together as a team. Larry Mantilla (18 months old), the youngest member of Junior Team A Step Ahead was so excited at the end of the relay he crossed the finish line 3 more times to a resounding applause. The juniors were assisted by Corrina Caval, Craig Pratka, Kuni Pinner-Raouf, Tony Carissimo, and Amy Palmerio-Winters.
The following adult runners participated in the full 5 mile race: Lauren Peters -- 50:29, Ben Simmons -- 51:31, Michael Laforgia -- 51:50, Shlomo Nimrodi -52:58, Peter Bremberg -- 58:38, Nick Androlia -- 1:08: 29 and Antoinette Dorazio -- 1:16:27.
Team A Step Ahead Triathletes Capture 4 Medals at the International Triathlon Union World Championships
Hicksville, NY June 11, 2008… On Saturday, June 7, four Team A Step Ahead athletes braved the cool air and cold water in Vancouver, British Columbia to capture four medals at the I.T.U. World Triathlon Championships. Competing against one of the largest fields of physically challenged athletes at a triathlon world championships, Team A Step Ahead once again excelled. The I.T.U. world championships are an Olympic distance triathlon consisting of a 1500 meter swim, 40 kilometer bike ride, and a 10 kilometer run.
In only her second major Olympic distance triathlon, Sandy Dukat took first place in the female above knee divison with a time of 2:57:50. Only two weeks after breaking the world record in the Ironman triathlon in Brazil and despite two flat tires, Amy Palmiero-Winters took first place in the female below the knee division with a time of 2:25:55. While working full time and studying to get in to medical school, Kelly Bruno posted one of her fastest times at the Olympic distance with a time of 2:33:48, taking second place in the female below-knee divison. In the midst of training for Ironman Lake Placid, Tommy Koehler captured 3rd place in one of the most highly competitive male below-knee divisions in a time of 2:18:32. The water and weather conditions were severe enough to force the race organizers to cancel the swim portion for most of the age group competition.
The Team A Step Ahead triathlon team has a busy season ahead of it with more Ironman competitions for Tommy Koehler, Kelly Bruno, and Amy Palmiero-Winters, the New York City Triathlon/National Physically Challenged Championships, a first Olympic distance triathlon for Michael Laforgia, a triathlon in Tel Aviv Israel for Shlomo Nimrodi, and a first time ½ Ironman competition for John Tartaglio.
Team A Step Ahead is a team of amputee athletes from around the world who compete in events including the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon, multiple marathons, road races around the world, and the Paralympic Games. Team A Step Ahead's members have been very competitive against able-bodied athletes, placing and wining age-group awards. These elite athletes hold or have held world records in the 100m, 200m, 400m, track and field events, marathons, and triathlons. Athletes receive training from coaches, prosthetists, and physical therapists who are experts in working with amputee athletes, including world record holding Paralympians. The company's motto is "Live Life Without Limitations." For additional information on Team A Step Ahead, click here.
Amy Palmiero-Winters was quoted in Newsday on January 17th, 2008 regarding Oscar Pistorius being banned from competing against able-bodied athletes at the Olympic Games.
Click on the article to the right to view it, or click the link below to be redirected to the article on Newsdays web site.
All pictures and videos throughout this web site are the property of A Step Ahead Prosthetics & Orthotics. Unauthorized use of these images is strictly prohibited.
