March 12, 2020
Phoenix, Ariz., March 12, 2020 – One year after losing his right leg below-the-knee in a vehicle accident, 24-year-old Erik Hultquist has made incredible progress. He’s not only walking again, but running, biking, and swimming with custom-designed prosthetic devices from his Hanger Clinic team in Phoenix, including clinicians David Vowels and Jillian Okimoto. Now, he has his sights set on representing the U.S. as a triathlete in Tokyo.
A crucial piece of Erik’s recovery has been his drive to compete in triathlons again. In 2015, Erik’s father suffered a stroke at the finish line of a triathlon in Illinois. Since then, Erik has trained for and completed that same race, raising money for stroke awareness. Being able to return to the sport as a para-athlete, continue raising awareness for stroke survivors, and show the world what’s possible are Erik’s key motivators.
Phoenix journalists attended Eric’s final prosthetic follow-up appointment before he travels to Florida to compete in the 2020 Sprint Triathlon American Cup, a qualifying race for Tokyo. Following are some of the resulting news stories:
KPNX-TV (NBC): https://www.12news.com/video/sports/olympics/valley-athlete-fighting-for-his-olympic-dream/75-77589700-05c8-4250-80e8-2e13532f4066
KSAZ-TV (FOX): https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/following-crash-and-amputation-valley-man-sets-his-sight-on-the-tokyo-paralympics
About Hanger Clinic – Hanger Clinic provides comprehensive, outcomes-based orthotic and prosthetic solutions at more than 925 patient care locations nationwide, and is part of the Hanger, Inc. ecosystem of diversified companies. Rooted in clinical research, excellence and innovation, its 1,700 board-certified clinicians provide customized solutions for all ages designed to increase the mobility and function of each person they have the honor of serving. For more information on Hanger Clinic, visit HangerClinic.com.
Contact:
Annie Myers
External Relations Manager
(210) 440-7380 or [email protected]