Synopses & Reviews
He is only one of thousands of young American servicemen and women who have returned from Iraq with bodies shattered by catastrophic injuries and minds haunted by the horror of what they've seen. What sets Kortney Clemons apart is his steadfast resolve not to let the worst day of his life set the course for the rest of his life. How strong is his determination? Seventeen months after losing his right leg to a roadside bomb in Baghdad, equipped with a prosthetic leg, he ran the 100-meter race in 15.61 seconds at the U.S. Paralympic Track & Field Championshipsand that was just the beginning.
In Amped, Kortney tells the harrowing and inspiring story of the disaster that brought him down, the painful and arduous rehabilitation that brought him back, and the self-imposed mission that has brought him so much public attentionto win a gold medal at the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing.
With disarming candor, Kortney relives the moments before and after the huge blast that took the lives of three soldiers and injured his leg beyond repair. This former army medic shares the intimate details of his injury and recounts his battles with inner demons and dark doubts when he realized that the bomb had blasted away not just his leg, but also his dreams, his identity, and his very reason for living.
How does a young man whose life has been changed forever recover from such a devastating loss? Kortney gives credit to his parents, his faith, and the medical professionals who guided him through the physical and mental anguish of recovery. Their dedication rekindled in him the need to serve others that had sustained him through a year of war. When he realized that his exquisitely crafted artificial leg would enable him to run again, he found his new mission: to set an example that would bring hope and courage to other wounded veterans facing the doubts, fears, and unbearable grief that he knew only too well.
Amped is more than an exciting sports tale or a chilling war memoir; it is an inspiring account of survival, physical recovery, and spiritual rebirth. This deeply moving true story delivers a message of hope and courage to wounded veterans, the disabled, and anyone who is struggling to recover from a severe setback in life.
Synopsis
The inspirational story of an Iraq vet chasing American glory in the 2008 Beijing Paralympics
Kortney Clemons was a medic in Iraq before a roadside bomb took his right leg. Now armed with a high-tech prosthesis, he's fighting a new war, trying to become a sprinter on the 2008 U.S. Paralympic team bound for Beijing. Amped is the inspirational story of his quest, a story that's already earned him notice in USA Today and on CNN and made him an ABC News "Person of the Week" and one of Essence magazine's "Do Right Men."
Kortney Clemons (Little Rock, MS) is a student at Penn State and in training for the 2008 Paralympic games. Bill Briggs (Denver, CO) is an award-winning journalist and freelance writer who has written for the Miami Herald, MSNBC.com, and the Financial Times, among others.
Synopsis
When above-the-knee amputeeswalk, we generate seven to nine times the force of our body weight right into the point where the prosthesis meets our residual leg. For me, that's almost 1,500 pounds slamming into that socket.
For any amputee, learning to walk with a prosthetic leg is a painful, grueling ordeal. Soon after army medic Kortney Clemons, who lost his right leg to a roadside bomb in Baghdad, began the process, he had more than walking in mind. He wanted to run, and run fast. Barely three years after the awful attack that changed his life forever, he aimed to join the elite corps of international athletes vying for gold in the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing. His account of his recovery from this catastrophic wound and his drive to become the first Iraq veteran to win Paralympic gold is one of the most remarkable, inspiring, and compelling stories in the history of sports.
Synopsis
"When above-the-knee amputeeswalk, we generate seven to nine times the force of our body weight right into the point where the prosthesis meets our residual leg. For me, that's almost 1,500 pounds slamming into that socket."
For any amputee, learning to walk with a prosthetic leg is a painful, grueling ordeal. Soon after army medic Kortney Clemons, who lost his right leg to a roadside bomb in Baghdad, began the process, he had more than walking in mind. He wanted to run, and run fast. Barely three years after the awful attack that changed his life forever, he aimed to join the elite corps of international athletes vying for gold in the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing. His account of his recovery from this catastrophic wound and his drive to become the first Iraq veteran to win Paralympic gold is one of the most remarkable, inspiring, and compelling stories in the history of sports.
About the Author
Kortney Clemons served as an army medic in Europe before 9/11. After the invasion of Iraq, he was assigned to the 1st Batallion, 8th Cavalry Regiment in Baghdad. Clemons lost his right leg above the knee near Baghdad in February 2005, when a roadside bomb exploded as he was helping a soldier who'd been wounded in an earlier incident. In May 2007, he competed at the Visa Paralympics World Cup in England, finishing the 100 meters in 14.57 seconds. He aims to qualify for the 2008 Paralympics in Beijing, China, as a sprinter.
Bill Briggs earned seven national sportswriting awards for the Denver Post, from investigative journalism to humor pieces. Now working as a freelance writer, Briggs has sold sports and business stories to the Miami Herald, MSNBC.com, the Financial Times, and the Gazette (Colorado Springs).
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments.
Author’s Note.
PART I: BLOOD AND TEARS.
Chapter One: Medic Down.
Chapter Two: Southern Roots.
Chapter Three: Missing Pieces.
Chapter Four: Into the Void.
Chapter Five: Baby Steps.
Part Ii: Wearing the Colors.
Chapter Six: Vision of Hope.
Chapter Seven: Off and Running.
Chapter Eight: Big Lift.
Chapter Nine: Precious Time.
Chapter Ten: History and Headlights.
Chapter Eleven: Heavy Lessons.
PART III: ACCEPTANCE.
Chapter Twelve: Full Circle.