Name: Doug Finkbeiner
Type of Amputation: Left BK
Doug Finkbeiner loves to walk. "I'm always backpacking and hiking," the 40-year-old says.  "I do a lot of winter camping and that sort of thing." Most people would agree that camping and hiking during a Michigan winter is no easy task, but Doug disagrees. "As long as you're prepared for it, it's easy," he says confidently.
"After my accident, the doctors told me I'd be lucky to ever walk normally again. I just had to prove them wrong," Doug says. The survivor of a 1986 motorcycle accident, Doug has setout to prove his doctors' attitudes about his recovery were mistaken.
 With passion and determination, Doug has already made several successful long distance trips on foot, proving that his devotion to self-rehabilitation has been a total triumph. Aside from hundreds of short backpacking and hiking trips, Doug has traveled the lengths of the Glacier National Park in Montana; Preview Mountain, Death Valley and the Piute Pass Inyo National Forest in California; and Hoist Lake, Manistee River, AuSable River, the McCormick Wilderness, Pictured Rocks and Grand Island of Michigan.
Doug's latest expedition started in January 2005, when he started out on a 700-mile walk from Midland, Michigan, all the way to Ironwood, Michigan. Originally, he planned on traveling by snowshoe and pulling a sled, but sustained a hamstring injury in February, about a month into his journey. "I had been using another foot," Doug says, "however, I think the TruStep's lighter weight and more controlled energy return works better on my long hikes." After a few months of rest and recuperation, Doug plans on restarting his trip using the TruStep. "I've used the TruStep Foot quite a bit and I feel quite comfortable with its dependability and action," Doug says.
 Feeling his best is something that is extremely important to Doug because on the day of his motorcycle accident, he broke his hip and completely dislocated his knee. "It wasn't just an amputation I was dealing with," Doug reveals. "With the TruStep, I can walk a lot further and it's easier on my hip and knee. I like the TruStep because I can fine-tune it to exactly the way I walk. I can make the adjustments to how it feels best." A regular hiker, biker, and kayaker, Doug is extremely active. "TruStep allows me to put in a few extra miles," he says.
Doug is setting back out to finish his 700-mile walk from Midland, Michigan to Ironwood, Michigan in July 2005. Check back for updates on his journey.
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