Chris Canfield

Denver, CO

Occupation

Retired Paralympic Skier

TechnologY

Transfemoral Replacement Socket

Handspring Hero Since

2020

Success Story

Chris lost his left leg above his knee in 1981, when he was 21 years old, from a blood clot following a routine orthoscopic knee surgery. He had always been an athlete as he competed in high school soccer and track and loved to ski on weekends.

His amputation has never slowed him down as he is one of the most positive and motivated people I have ever met. Not long after his amputation he took a trip to Tahoe to see if he could ski again. After beating his adaptive instructor down the hill on his first run (on one ski), he knew this was a sport he can continue to participate in. Things just continued to fall into place for Chris. He eventually made his way to Breckenridge when he was 40, where he was able to get back into skiing regularly and competing.

He also discovered a love for mountain biking in the off-season as it helped him stay in shape. When Chris found a ski program for his two daughters, this allowed him to participate in masters training where he started to get noticed. Through these competitions, he earned a spot on the US ski team which led him to be one of 10 men who competed in the 2006 Paralympic games in Torino, Italy when he was 45 years old.

What Stands Out

Skilled, intuitive, and creative care

Chris now gets his prosthetic care from our Handspring office in Denver and commented on his experience with Amy, the lead prosthetist.

"I recently found myself extremely frustrated. My prosthetist at a well-known "big-box firm" just could not get my replacement leg to fit properly. Weeks went by. I began to wonder if I would ever walk and recreate at the high levels I am accustomed to.

Then I found Amy Ginsburg and Handspring Clinical Service! Amy is far and away the most skilled, intuitive and creative leg-doc I have had the pleasure to work with. She immediately diagnosed all my issues with fit and alignment.

Amy looks at the big picture, and is gifted at identifying the nuances that make us all unique physically, then she creates a limb that is as unique as we are.

I could not be happier with the finished product, and would HIGHLY recommend both Amy and Handspring.

…don’t let the potential of a stigmatized existence own/rule you...Everybody has something.”

Sage Advice

One piece of advice that Chris would give to anyone who is reading this is “…don’t let the potential of a stigmatized existence own/rule you. Don’t feel sorry for yourself. Everybody has something. I was fortunate (early on) that my girlfriend (now my wife) did not allow me to have self-pity. You have got to press on because there are limits to things that everyone can do. You may have limitations too…don’t feel sorry for yourself, just go get it.”

“Working with Handspring has changed my life completely. Not just because of the devices they’ve fitted me with, but because of the standard of care they’ve provided.”