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Allen O'Leary: No limits to recovery and fitness
Allen O'Leary is a mover. He constantly pushes the limits of his body through fitness. Whether he hand cycles, cross country skis or completes 5Ks, he is always up for a new physical challenge.
O'Leary has always been an active person, however, it was a spinal cord injury that brought him to this new found passion for fitness, with a determination to walk again. In 2012, at age 29, while helping his grandmother clean her roof, a task he had performed many times, the ladder slid out from beneath him and he fell to the ground landing on his tailbone. The fall shattered his L1 vertebrae. After an 8 1/2 hour surgery to fuse his L2-T12 vertebrae, his recovery began.
O'Leary came to Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute's Transitional Rehabilitation Program (TRP) where he spent three months in intense rehabilitation before returning home. This high-intensity inpatient rehabilitation facility is known for its excellence in treating people with brain injury, stroke and spinal cord injury. It serves as a bridge from hospital to home for people with complex medical conditions.
When O'Leary first arrived at the TRP he was using a power wheelchair. Beating the odds, he graduated to walking with a walker by the time he returned home. He also was able to achieve his goal of continuing to live in his third-story apartment that does not have elevator access. During his outpatient therapy, he began handcycling through the support and direction of the Institute's Sports and Recreation department.
Now, In the summer, three days a week he handcycles from his apartment in Uptown Minneapolis to Golden Valley, a trip of about xx miles, to work out for two to three hours at Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute's Fitness & Wellness Center. The fully accessible Center is key to moving him toward his independence and fitness goals. In 2016 alone, O'Leary handcycled more than 900 miles. "The Fitness & Wellness Center is filled with adaptive equipment. Nothing is off limits there and there are always therapists on hand to help out when needed."
O'Leary recently received a grant to purchase his own handcycle. Now there really is no limit to how far he can move forward on his path to recovery from spinal cord injury.
O'Leary has always been an active person, however, it was a spinal cord injury that brought him to this new found passion for fitness, with a determination to walk again. In 2012, at age 29, while helping his grandmother clean her roof, a task he had performed many times, the ladder slid out from beneath him and he fell to the ground landing on his tailbone. The fall shattered his L1 vertebrae. After an 8 1/2 hour surgery to fuse his L2-T12 vertebrae, his recovery began.
O'Leary came to Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute's Transitional Rehabilitation Program (TRP) where he spent three months in intense rehabilitation before returning home. This high-intensity inpatient rehabilitation facility is known for its excellence in treating people with brain injury, stroke and spinal cord injury. It serves as a bridge from hospital to home for people with complex medical conditions.
When O'Leary first arrived at the TRP he was using a power wheelchair. Beating the odds, he graduated to walking with a walker by the time he returned home. He also was able to achieve his goal of continuing to live in his third-story apartment that does not have elevator access. During his outpatient therapy, he began handcycling through the support and direction of the Institute's Sports and Recreation department.
Now, In the summer, three days a week he handcycles from his apartment in Uptown Minneapolis to Golden Valley, a trip of about xx miles, to work out for two to three hours at Courage Kenny Rehabilitation Institute's Fitness & Wellness Center. The fully accessible Center is key to moving him toward his independence and fitness goals. In 2016 alone, O'Leary handcycled more than 900 miles. "The Fitness & Wellness Center is filled with adaptive equipment. Nothing is off limits there and there are always therapists on hand to help out when needed."
O'Leary recently received a grant to purchase his own handcycle. Now there really is no limit to how far he can move forward on his path to recovery from spinal cord injury.