Running for Change with Nicole Ver Kuilen

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4.7 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 12 April 2022

⏱️ 35 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Nicole Ver Kuilen completed an ultra triathlon on the western coast of the US to raise awareness about the lack of access to prostheses. Her journey led her to creating her nonprofit, Forrest Stump to help amputees get better equipment.

Transcript

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0:00.0	In 2017, Nicole Burke Highland participated in a triathlon held by the Challenged Athletes
0:10.8	Foundation.
0:12.3	Minutes after she crossed the finish line, the organizers told her to come up on stage.
0:17.4	Nicole thought they wanted her to talk about the 1500 mile ultra triathlon she had just
0:23.1	completed days earlier.
0:26.1	So I'm super sweaty, you know, it just got in done with the run, I'm exhausted.
0:30.8	So I go up there and all of a sudden I realize that they're about to present me with my
0:36.1	first ever running blade.
0:38.4	And as you can imagine, it was such an emotional experience and I just like broke into tears.
0:47.1	A running blade is a lower leg prosthesis used by amputee runners.
0:51.7	As an amputee who lost her leg when she was 10 years old, Nicole is dedicated to fighting
0:56.3	an outdated healthcare system.
0:59.1	Insurance only provides one walking prosthesis every few years.
1:03.7	But Nicole is a runner and a biker, and her prosthesis wears out fast.
1:08.7	The equipment is also expensive, we're talking at least $15,000 per prosthesis.
1:15.8	It's not realistic for Nicole and her family to buy these out of pocket.
1:20.9	In 2017, Nicole realized if this was affecting her own ability to be active, it must also be
1:26.9	affecting a ton of other people.
1:29.3	She decided to do something about it and took on a huge physical feat, a 1500 mile ultra
1:34.6	triathlon down the west coast of the United States.
1:38.6	The goal to raise awareness about the lack of access to prostheses for so many people
1:44.3	and to change the system.
	...

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