Meet The Co-Captains
TeamUP Co-Captain
Craig Vogtsberger
Click Here For Quick Facts
LIVES IN Highlands Ranch, Colorado
CURRENTLY WORKING AS A Para-Athlete and Father
DEVELOPED FOOT DROP AS A RESULT OF a Traumatic Brain Injury and Incomplete Spinal Cord Injury resulting in Hemiparesis (left-side paralysis) from a Humvee crash while serving in the military
CURRENTLY WEARS the Allard BlueROCKER™ 2.0 size medium for everyday use, BlueROCKER™ 2.0 size large for running, ToeOFF™ size medium for cycling and weightlifting
FAVORITE QUOTE IS “I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself. A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough without ever having felt sorry for itself.” – D. H. Lawrence
FUN FACT: I love coffee! I drink it in the morning, during the day, and before I go to bed. I was worried at one time that I was addicted, so I quit drinking it for several weeks but had no problems from not having coffee so I went back to drinking it each day. I just really like the taste of coffee!
In 2001, my National Guard Unit received orders to deploy for a peacekeeping mission to Bosnia. During our training for deployment, I stepped between two Humvees and the vehicles collided. My body was crushed. I suffered massive trauma to my entire body. Among my injuries: a mild traumatic brain injury; spinal trauma (to all three sections); an incomplete spinal cord injury (SCI); dysautonomia, which is an insufficiency of the nervous system; paralysis in the left leg and left shoulder; visual impairment; partial hearing loss, and numerous other injuries and disabilities. My prognosis was spending the rest of my life sitting in a chair taking pain killers and other medications.
My injuries were so complex that my doctors had a difficult time diagnosing me. One of the hardest things was knowing that my body and mind weren’t working correctly as a unit, yet the doctors weren’t able to find the cause. They prescribed pain killers to treat my constant pain and told me I would spend the rest of my life sitting in a chair; their opinion was that there wasn’t much hope of living an active life.
One day I saw an advertisement for a local triathlon and I decided to go. Watching that race was all it took: I decided that day to take my freedom back. I stopped my medication immediately, found a trainer that would work with my disabilities, and started getting life back.
In 2008, I was finally diagnosed with foot drop in my left leg. I was given a basic Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO) at my first orthotist appointment. After explaining my desire to run and cycle, the orthotist smiled and asked me to wait a minute. He replaced my basic AFO with an Allard BlueROCKER and let me try it. It was perfect! I ran down the hallway of the office and I haven’t stopped since.
Since getting my BlueROCKER in 2009, I have gone on to accomplish numerous feats that weren’t fathomable even before my accident. In 2014, I took part in an expedition to Mt. Whitney with Soldiers to Summits and No Barriers. I have raced in XTERRA off-road triathlons and trail runs for many years, in the Physically Challenged Division, winning the World Championship Trail Run. I also competed on the Paratriathlon Team and won the National Championship in 2010. I also raced on the Para-cycling team and while on these teams, I have competed in numerous regional, national, and world championships, 5 and 10K races, snowshoe races, and competed in the CrossFit Games.
There is nothing I haven’t been able to do with my BlueROCKER. It’s given me the freedom and confidence to move through life and take on any new goal.
Join the TeamUP Community
By uniting as a team, we can shine a light on Foot Drop and the conditions that lead to it. Here’s why you should join our movement:
Get unique Get Back UP Today goodies to show off your support
Share your story with thousands of members and connect with new friends
Receive monthly updates, inspiring stories and helpful tips
*We will never share your information with 3rd parties.