Comments on: The Razorback with a Zebra Leg

The Razorback with a Zebra Leg

Atreides — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 11:34:19 -0800

"The coach [of the University of Arkansas Cheerleaders] would offer "no special consideration" here. Beard would have to do all the stunts, and do them perfectly. There would be no charity for Patience." Patience Beard, an amputee since the age of 9 months, a fresh graduate of a Texarkana high school, refused to be dissuaded. Instead, she went out and did what she did best, and made the team.

Bonus: On the sideline of one of the recent Arkansas football games, a young amputee wanted to meet the one-legged cheerleader he had seen from the stands.

By: ThePinkSuperhero

ThePinkSuperhero — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 11:38:01 -0800

That picture is so freakin' cute :')

By: leotrotsky

leotrotsky — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 11:39:15 -0800

I like the chutzpah of the zebra stripes.

By: kafziel

kafziel — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 11:46:20 -0800

Well done on everyone involved. Amputee or not, let her try to do the stunts, and let her on the team if it turns out she can. If her disability means she can't, don't make an exception, but if it doesn't interfere? Then don't let it. Good story.

By: dry white toast

dry white toast — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 11:48:37 -0800

Ru-dy, ru-dy, ru-dy....

By: resurrexit

resurrexit — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 11:50:29 -0800

Oh, that picture...I wish my tears were more inside.

By: workerant

workerant — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 11:56:29 -0800

For several years I was the motorcycle safety captain of the Avon 3-Day Walk for Breast Cancer*. I witnessed incredible feats of dedication and love and hope. We had walkers of all ages and abilities, including a couple of women who were currently being treated for breast cancer. Hands down the most inspiring thing I saw in those years was the woman with the zebra leg. I never learned her name, but she was an above-the-knee amputee and her prosthetic leg had a zebra-print top. She walked all 60 miles during the worst year of the event (tropical storm + bad planning = really bad day.) I remember seeing her in camp at night. I was walking around listening walkers griping about their sore calves and their blisters. Then I turned a corner and there she was, sitting on the floor with her prosthetic leg off, applying salve to the blisters on her stump. She looked up at me and smiled. Never underestimate a woman with a zebra leg.

By: workerant

workerant — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 11:59:58 -0800

Oops - forgot the footnote. The Avon 3-Day series died when their event company went out of business, partly because of the life-threatening clusterfuck of the aforementioned Atlanta walk. The Atlanta crew was so tight that the event continued for several years as an independent 2-day walk, then was picked up by Komen.

By: blue_beetle

blue_beetle — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 12:05:19 -0800

I'm guessing a one-legged cheerleader would be lighter than one with two biological legs. Wouldn't that make them idea for the throws and jumps and stuff that cheerleaders do?

By: harujion

harujion — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 12:17:12 -0800

Seriously cool, especially seeing her be an inspiration to others. (Aww, that little kid!) I'm guessing a one-legged cheerleader would be lighter than one with two biological legs. Wouldn't that make them idea for the throws and jumps and stuff that cheerleaders do? blue_beetle, the article does mention that bit: There is a bit of a challenge, however, for Patience's partner, Kevin Ellstrand. He's the one who has to lift her, and he admits it's a little bit tricky holding a girl up with one arm when a disproportionate amount of her weight is on one side. I suppose for her, it's just how she's always been, and she's used to compensating for it. She's been doing gymnastics since she was four, and seems like she's got an ace sense of balance.

By: The Gooch

The Gooch — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 12:27:15 -0800

Trying hard to find something to be cynical about here, but thus far unsuccessful. What a great story.

By: Anitanola

Anitanola — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 12:34:39 -0800

Every now and then I see something that makes me very proud of The Land of Opportunity and this is certainly one of those times.

By: BlueJae

BlueJae — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 12:52:24 -0800

I went to high school with a guy with a prosthetic leg. He was on the football team. And not for charity, either.

By: d. z. wang

d. z. wang — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 12:58:46 -0800

Trying hard to find something to be cynical about here, but thus far unsuccessful. What a great story. (The Gooch) If you were really determined to ruin everything good in the world, you could mouse over this link but, really, why would you?

By: arcticseal

arcticseal — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 13:50:58 -0800

Sometimes a good story makes it through the cynicism; today is one of those times.

By: Sidhedevil

Sidhedevil — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 14:06:35 -0800

Hurray for Ms. Beard! It feels a bit recursive to be cheering a cheerleader, actually.

By: Melismata

Melismata — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 14:37:11 -0800

Oh, there's plenty of cynicism: it's great for her, but not so great for the greater number of disabled people who aren't as athletically gifted, and are unemployed and living a lonely life since what little services they've had over the years have been cut.

By: box

box — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 16:20:28 -0800

This is the first good news about the Arkansas Razorbacks I've heard in a while.

By: sio42

sio42 — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 16:56:37 -0800

i can't help but hear this said in the cutest, perkiest, but completely genuine voice of reese witherspoon being all southern. Patience is considering asking her Dallas hospital for a new prosthetic, in Razorbacks red. "How many people do you know who have an Arkansas leg?" she asks.

By: not that girl

not that girl — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 18:38:39 -0800

I'm dating a woman with a prosthetic leg. On a walk one night (our first real date), we sat on a bench to chat in the moonlight. She took off her leg and propped it beside her against the bench. I started to take off my little wallet-on-a-string type thing and set it next to me, and she said, "Here, let me." She dropped it into the cup at the top of her leg. "That way, you know you won't forget it," she said. Her newest leg has an adjustable foot, so she can wear high heels as well as flats. I was like, "Barbie foot!" and she was like, "No."

By: orange swan

orange swan — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 18:48:21 -0800

Patience remembers going to the beach in fifth grade and feeling embarrassed when everyone around her started noticing her leg. "What happened to you?" they asked. Patience told her mom she wanted to wear pants. Her mom told her no. "That's who you are," she told her daughter. "Don't be ashamed. This is you." Bad ass parents have bad ass daughter.

By: King, in the hall of the mountain

King, in the hall of the mountain — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 20:43:08 -0800

>sio42:

i can't help but hear this said in the cutest, perkiest, but completely genuine voice of reese witherspoon being all southern. Patience is considering asking her Dallas hospital for a new prosthetic, in Razorbacks red. "How many people do you know who have an Arkansas leg?" she asks.

A proud SEC tradition: Owner of prosthetic leg with UK logo elated about find. For real though, this is a heartwarming story and a double-ultra-extra-heartwarming bonus photo.

By: chemoboy

chemoboy — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 10:09:08 -0800

Excellent story. Thanks for pointing this out, Atreides.