Zimri Solis pushes himself on the track to demonstrate that limb loss need not deter anyone from an active lifestyle.
A Limb Loss Running Clinic will be held on Sunday, Sept. 17, from 7 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Drayson Center on the campus of Loma Linda University Health, for people who have lost a leg and subsequently been fitted with a prosthesis. The clinic is free. The center is located at 25040 Stewart Street in Loma Linda.
Zimri Solis was only 10 years old when he lost his right leg due to complications of meningitis. Today, the 34-year-old Highland resident is an elite para-triathlete who loves to run, thanks to the artificial prosthesis he has been wearing for the last three years.
Solis took first place in his division in the 2015 Biggest Loser Half Marathon, crossing the line on the course in one hour and 30 minutes, ahead of many runners with two natural legs. The enthusiastic PossAbilities member is frequently asked to share his story with patients who have either lost a limb or been told they will soon require an amputation.
“I tell them how PossAbilities has impacted my life in a positive way, and how there are more things to do out there when you challenge yourself,” Solis said. “I tell them it’s not what you go through, it’s how you go through it that matters.”
PossAbilities, a non-profit community outreach program for disabled individuals and veterans, will host the clinic, and Quest Diagnostics is the sponsor.
Event organizer Jordan The, DPT, said the clinic was designed to empower individuals who have either lost limbs to accident or illness or were born without them. “It’s about helping them go forward after limb loss,” he said.
The, a physical therapist in the outpatient orthopedics clinic at Loma Linda University Medical Center East Campus, said the goal of the PossAbilities program is to help individuals reach far beyond just self-care and empower them to achieve things they never dreamed of.
“There’s so much more to life,” The said. "We hope to allow people to run after their kids, or run 5ks and marathons. The running clinic takes people a step beyond so they can really achieve their full potential."
Individuals who want to participate in the free clinic are asked to register online at www.teampossabilities.org/running-clinic. Additional information is available by phone at (909) 558-6384.
