Local athlete sets sights on U.S. Paralympic Trials - KPTV - FOX 12
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A local athlete has the shot of a lifetime, after enduring incredible sacrifice along the way.
43-year-old Rachael Harris of Tigard lost her leg to a medical condition nearly 20 years ago.
Harris woke up one morning at the age of 16, only to find out she couldn't walk. Doctors later found that a mass of arteries and vessels had clumped together in her heel, the size of a baseball.
After years of surgery, it ultimately cost her leg from the knee down.
As a former gymnast, Harris said she was determined to stay active after the amputation. Most recently she decided to try her luck at running.
Turns out, she's pretty good.
Not only is she defying the odds at the age of 43, but she has a shot at making the U.S. Women's Paralympics Team.
Harris can run 100-meters in 21.9 seconds, that's just two seconds shy from qualifying.
Her coach says if she can get a new prosthetic limb, specially designed for running, she might have a shot at making the team.
"It would be a dream come true," said Rachael Harris. "I can't describe the feeling when I run. It's a feeling of elation, freedom, success and liberation. I just have such a passion for athletics."
The special-bladed leg designed for running would cost Harris anywhere from $10,000-$15,000.
A donation fund has been set up at West Coast Bank through the Amputee Care Foundation. Donations can be made at any West Coast Bank under "Rachael Harris Olympics."
Evergreen Prosthetics will match any dollar amount of donation up to $20,000.
Copyright KPTV 2012. (Meredith Corporation.) All rights reserved.
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