Paralympian Builds Prosthetics Used by His Own Competitors

When snowmobile racer Mike Schultz crashed at age 27, doctors had to amputate his leg to save his life. Instead of giving up extreme sports, he built something better.

Schultz engineered his own prosthetic knee using mountain bike shocks and a patented linkage system that could handle the brutal demands of snowboard cross racing. The prosthetic worked so well that he founded BioDapt, a company that now creates high-performance prosthetics for extreme athletes, amputees, and veterans worldwide.

Since 2008, Schultz has won multiple Winter Paralympics and World Championships in adaptive snowboard cross and banked slalom. His BioDapt Moto Knee 2 can withstand freezing temperatures, absorb impacts from high-speed jumps, and adjust with precision down to a quarter turn of a screw.

Here's the remarkable twist: many of his competitors wear his prosthetics too. Schultz often finds himself repairing rival athletes' gear right before races, helping them perform their best against him.

"The alignment is crucial, otherwise you're not going to be able to roll over to your toe edge or heel edge to make a turn," Schultz explains. "Changes in an angle by half or a quarter turn on a set screw are noticeable."

As he trains for the 2026 Paralympic Games in Cortina, Schultz carries a complete toolkit everywhere, ready to rebuild his prosthetic from scratch in five minutes if needed. He rides standard racing boards now because his prosthetics work so precisely that he doesn't need special accommodations.

Why This Inspires

Schultz's story goes beyond athletic achievement. By solving his own problem, he created technology that helps countless others push their limits. His prosthetics have become the gold standard in adaptive sports, proving that innovation born from personal necessity can transform entire communities.

The real magic happens when competitors line up at the starting gate, many wearing the same BioDapt prosthetics. Instead of keeping his advantage to himself, Schultz chose to lift everyone up. That spirit of generosity makes him a champion long before any race begins.

Oh, and he never competes without his Lucky Bear, a stuffed animal his daughter Lauren snuck into his bag years ago. Now 12, Lauren competes in gymnastics with her own mini Lucky Bear, carrying forward her dad's legacy of determination and heart.