Jon Kreamelmeyer's positive attitude through his rough journey
- nelsoncruz138
- Mar 24, 2022
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 14, 2022
NORTHRIDGE, CA – Former paralympic coach Jon Kreamelmeyer felt discomfort in his right leg. Last August, he had to amputate his leg due to blood clots after hiking near his home in Frisco, Colorado.
Credit: summitdaily.com
Jon Kreamelmeyer, an international paralympic committee technical classifier, and former paralympic coach had his right leg amputated last August. The discomfort started when Kreamelmeyer felt a hot feeling from his calf to his foot. He worked out then the sensation went away.
In August, Kreamelmeyer was hiking, and later on, he felt something come loose behind his right knee.
Kreamelmeyer went to the E.R. the next day. After the doctor examined his leg, they put him on a flight to Denver. The panic was due to an aneurysm. It created a blood clot that stopped the blood flow.
The doctor explained to Kreamelmeyer that his leg had to come off.
Kreamelmeyer had to realize that he had a chance to get back into sports. He began his paralympic journey as a sighted guide to blind skier Michele Drolet. He knew going back to sports would be difficult.
He underwent six surgeries in eight days to remove his leg. Although part of his body was gone, his spirit was whole.
“I said, ‘Let’s go forward and make it work,’” said Kreamelmeyer.
He was home for about a week, and his body started failing. His family rushed to Denver, and Kreamelmeyer began to have respiratory failure. He suffered from pneumonia which caused him to spend two months in the hospital.
In late November, he finally went back home.
Kreamelmeyer can be found buckling in his sit-ski going downhills.
He doesn’t feel that he is “disabled.”
“…You’re not broken. You’re changing. It’s a matter of embracing the change and then transforming into what you will become.” said Kreamelmeyer.
By, Nelson Cruz
Contributors, New York Times
Photo, summitdaily.com
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