Paralympian Builds Prosthetics for 25 Competitors in Italy

When Mike Schultz's prosthetic leg couldn't handle the extreme sports he loved, he built a better one in his garage. Now, at his final Paralympic Games, he'll watch 25 competitors race down Italian slopes wearing prosthetics he designed.

The 2008 snowmobiling accident that cost Schultz his leg could have ended his athletic career. His first prosthetic crumbled under the demands of motocross and snowboarding, leaving him stuck on the sidelines of the life he'd always known.

Without any engineering degree or technical training, Schultz went to work. He spent countless hours sketching, testing materials, and rebuilding until he created a prosthetic that could withstand bone-jarring impacts and high-speed turns.

"I just wanted to get back on my motocross bike and my snowmobile," Schultz said. But once he proved his design worked, he realized other athletes faced the same frustration.

In 2010, he founded BioDapt to manufacture lower limb prosthetics specifically for para athletes. The company designs components that handle the unique stresses of competitive sports, from the torque of snowboarding to the impact of adaptive motocross.

This month, the entire U.S. Paralympic snowboarding team will compete on BioDapt prosthetics. Schultz will make his third and final Paralympic appearance alongside them, closing out his competitive career by helping others chase theirs.

The Ripple Effect

BioDapt recently partnered with Autodesk, an AI-powered manufacturing company, to refine its products and expand production. The collaboration means more para athletes worldwide will access prosthetics built for performance, not just function.

Schultz transformed personal adversity into opportunity for an entire community of athletes. His garage innovation became an industry solution, proving that the best problem solvers are often those who've lived the problem themselves.

As Schultz prepares for his final race, 25 competitors wearing his designs will race beside him.

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