UPDATE MARCH 2018 – Jack fulfilled his dreams of being on Team USA Paralympic Sled Hockey team and went on to help the team win a Gold Medal at the 2018 Paralympics in PyeongChang South Korea
In July 2008 10 year old Jack Wallace was involved in a boating accident while on vacation with his family on Lake George, NY. His injuries resulted in his right leg being amputated above the knee.
The following summer, Jack went to Camp No Limits with his family for the first time. He was inspired by the other children to work hard and realized that his limb loss was not a limitation. Camp No Limits helped Jack to stop focusing on his limitations and instead focus on all the possibilities that were available to him.
Jack Wallace with Brooke Artesi – Team Sunshine at Lincoln Park Triathlon 2013
“By spending time with all of the other campers who had overcome their disabilities, I stopped noticing their disabilities and mine as well,”
Hiking has been a passion for Brooke Artesi for over 15 years – ever since her boyfriend (now husband ) Steve took her to the Bear Mountain portion of the Appalachian Trail. She fell in love with the exhilaration of the hike and the welcoming shelters along the way. In 2015, Brooke completed the 20 mile AT hike on the Shawangunk Trail in less than 8 hours, fast walking all the way. Her ultimate goal is to someday complete the entire trail – all 2,166 miles through 13 states! In the meantime, she hikes as often as possible, being a mother of 2, wife, and owner/Chief Prosthetist & Orthotist of Sunshine Prosthetics and Orthotics in Wayne NJ.
On March 25th, Brooke Artesi, CPO/LPO and owner of Sunshine P&O, will lead an adaptive hike on the Beginner’s Loop of Pyramid Mountain in Montville NJ. Hiking is a challenging and rewarding sport for everyone – yes, EVERYONE! There are trails which are adaptive; they may have asphalt paths or boardwalks, low gradients, trained guides – check out these resources to find adaptive trails :