Meet The Co-Captains

TeamUP Co-Captain

Rod Fulmer

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LIVES IN McDonough, Georgia
CURRENTLY WORKING AS a Purchasing Agent for a steel company to the oil and gas industry
DEVELOPED FOOT DROP AS A RESULT OF FSH Muscular Dystrophy (Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy)
CURRENTLY WEARS the Allard BlueROCKER™ with a custom insole
ONE OF MY PROUDEST ACCOMPLISHMENTS is being an adoptive parent.
FAVORITE HOBBIES ARE Fishing, Gardening, Traveling and Food!
PROUDEST ACHEIVEMENTS SINCE HAVING PERMANENT FOOT DROP are climbing Georgia’s Stone Mountain with about 40 of my closest friends, and zip-lining!
FAVORITE QUOTE IS “Believe in yourself, you are braver than you think, more talented than you know and capable of more than you can imagine.” -Roy T. Bennett
FUN FACT: I love roller coasters.

I have Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHMD) and I’m in the fight of my life. It all started when my grandfather started having trouble walking in his early 40’s. Until then people didn’t live that long so the symptoms of FSH didn’t really manifest fully. My grandfather, who lived in the Ozark Mountains, got to where he could hardly walk but still worked at the local feed store.

Later, as my dad and uncles started having trouble, we realized that this was something inherited from my grandfather but still wasn’t talked about. We each learned to cope and hide our ailments as best as possible. FSH affects the muscles in your face, your shoulders, arms, legs and your ability to walk. FSH now affects not only me but a few cousins, nieces and my sisters.

For years I wore hard plastic Ankle Foot Orthosis (AFO) braces provided by the MDA clinic. Although I intended to wear them, they always ended up in the bottom of my closet because they were so uncomfortable. It wasn’t until I fell in the grocery store that I realized I needed to wear something. The following week my sister showed me her new braces, Allard’s ToeOFF carbon fiber AFOs. After trying them on I went straight to my Orthotist to get my own Allard braces where we discovered that I needed the more rigid BlueROCKERS.

Since then I have worn my AFOs daily and have been able to keep up with my very active young daughter. In 2013 I was asked to be a part of TeamUP and I kept thinking “Why me?” I’m no athlete but I am determined to do one thing that so many people take for granted – keep walking. I always hoped that I would somehow escape being in a wheelchair and so far, with the help of my BlueROCKERs, I have. Being a part of TeamUP now affords me the opportunity to tell my story, inspire others and answer questions about these awesome braces. Today, rather than trying to hide my FSH I am an advocate for others. I can’t tell anyone what’s best for them but I know that everyone should have the chance to “Get Back Up”.

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