“Losing My Leg Was a Gift”
Steve Chamberland, Founder of 50 Legs
“Looking back, losing my leg was a gift” – Steve Chamberland, founder of 50 Legs (www.50legs.org).
I met with Steve when he was suffering from a nasty bronchitis. Nothing will stop him from meetings when it comes to the cause he has been called to. In fact, Steve got a reality show deal for 50 Legs, which I am told will launch a big fundraising event at Berts Barracuda Harley Davidson on January 15, 2022, with Brett Michaels as main act and of course LawFran as one of the main sponsors.
Steve lost his leg back in 2003, he had no insurance or any resources to pay for a prosthetic leg. As an aspiring wrestler trained by FCW (Florida Championship Wrestling) in the “School of Hard Knocks”, Steve rubbed shoulders with Jimmy Hart, Hulk Hogan and the likes. He put his resilient fighting skills to work and found a way to fund his prosthetic leg. He even signed on as a pro-wrestler. Shortly after that he crossed paths with young Ania, who also lost her leg at a very young age. Steve found a way to get Ania a prosthetic leg, and that is when Jimmy Hart told him “This is why you lost your leg!” And that, ladies and gentlemen, is when 50 Legs was created.
To date and thanks to sponsors such as LawFran, Suncoast Brotherhood of Florida, Hulk Hogan, Berts Barracuda Harley Davidson, Prosthetic & Orthotic Associates of Orlando, and a myriad of other partnering businesses and individuals, approximately $3 million dollars has been raised and children (576 so far) have been helped because of 50 Legs.
Steve is a former semi-pro football player, amateur hockey player, and pro-wrestler; Steve Chamberland understands the importance of physical activity. In addition to immediate health and mobility benefits, it also impacts your quality of life, confidence level, and self-worth. It is with this mindset that 50 Legs gladly provides quality prosthetic legs to children, adults, and military wishing to live an active lifestyle.
In addition to helping children, Steve has a true respect for those who serve our country and has provided legs for many service men and women. 50 Legs was also one of the first to help and support victims of the Boston Marathon bombings. If you ask Steve how he feels about losing his leg, he might surprise you. “I just want to help people better their lives.” All you have to do is watch Steve interact with children to see he is truly in love with what he does.
Next time you catch me complaining (If you ever will), remind me to count my blessings and, if I catch you complaining I will do the same for you. My good friend and award winning actress Krista Grotte Saxon says, “Life is brutal but it is also so beautiful”. She is so right.
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