Sixteen-year-old Kate Foster mounts the balance beam at a small Illinois gymnastics competition. Cooper explained that Foster has to warm up apart from the rest of her team since they set the balance beam a little lower for her and insert an extra thick mat to help keep her safe. "I've gotten videos where I've had a couple of hundred views before and then this time it just kept going up and wasn't stopping." "I just see Kate," she says. And Kate doesn't receive any special treatment or extra time because of her status. Aside from gymnastics, she’s also always been interested in fitness in general. In the background, you can hear an instrumental version of "Defying Gravity," which seems to be playing as much for Foster as for the gymnast dancing to the track on the floor exercise. "She goes, 'Maybe I'll just tell people I sprained my ankle. "It's kind of a real smell but I love it," she said. Sixteen-year-old Kate Foster mounts the balance beam at a small Illinois gymnastics competition. But before the procedure, her left leg had become dangerously infected. Wearing a red and black leotard, she raises her … The doctors informed the gymnast and her family that they would need to amputate the limb. She is the only competitor with a prosthetic leg, and she’s held to the same standards as her peers. A graduate of Auburn High School in Rockford, Illinois, she plans on double majoring in economics and biology before pursuing a career as a doctor. '", Foster was taken aback by her sudden virality. Learn more about our, iy_2020; im_10; id_24; ih_07; imh_00; i_epoch:1603548017309, py_2019; pm_04; pd_10; ph_11; pmh_02; p_epoch:1554919361054, link-block; link-block_link-block; bodystr, pn_tstr:Wed Dec 31 16:00:00 PST 1969; pn_epoch:0, https://www.littlethings.com/kate-foster-gymnast/. Please contact us at Rights@LittleThings.com. I need that ... for gymnastics,’” she recalls telling her doctors. Even as a young preteen, she was highly involved in the CrossFit community. "That was probably the most frustrating thing just because even a cartwheel was totally weird," she explained. ROCKFORD — The inspiring story of 14-year-old cancer survivor Kate Foster will soon be heard by millions.As part of the 10th annual St. Jude Thanks and Giving campaign, Kate … She has also limited her work to just the bars and beam (she used to compete on floor exercises and vault as well), part to accommodate a demanding course load, but primarily to protect her right leg from overuse. It's really your leg or your life.". But what has life been life after leukemia? We at LittleThings care about accuracy. Kate Foster lost her leg to a leukemia-related infection when she was 12, but she didn't let that get in the way of her favorite activity.
But Then, It Works. WATCH: The incredible comeback story of a young gymnast who returned to competition after losing her leg. Cooper explained how close the team was and described telling the athletes, first about Foster's diagnosis, and then about the amputation, as the hardest thing she ever had to do. However, that wasn’t going to be enough. Thank you for subscribing to our Push Notifications, Instantly get the most heartwarming & meaningful stories. One-Legged Gymnast Competes With Two-Legged Peers, Inspires Others, Black lives lost and the outrage that followed, Police officer fired after fatal shooting involving unarmed Black couple, 2 dead after US Naval aircraft crashes in residential neighborhood: Officials, Health official tears up delivering latest COVID-19 numbers. She was one of those girls who would put in all of the extra time needed to be the very best athlete that she could be. PART OF WILD SKY MEDIA | FAMILY & PARENTING, LITTLETHINGS - Kate Foster has always loved gymnastics, ever since she was 7 years old. Again, no one wants to hear this, but if anyone could face this terrible disease, it was Kate. 10-Year-Old, Double-Leg Amputee Back on Football Field, Wounded Veteran's Therapy Dog Serves as Best Man at Wedding. Turn on desktop notifications for breaking stories about interest? Dvora Meyers is a journalist and author of The End of the Perfect 10, a book about the evolution of women's gymnastics. After spending so much time in hospitals, admiring the work of those who cared for her, Kate wants to become a doctor. “They don't change the rules for her ... they're not saying, ‘Okay, you don't have to do this part of it or you don't have to do that part,’” he said. MAMÁSLATINAS -

BABY NAME WIZARD. And Cooper said that the gymnast has managed to find the humor in the situation. Surgeons removed her left leg, from the mid-thigh down. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy. "I told them 'No,'" she said. Kate Foster is a gymnast from Illinois and she will shock you with her incredible beam routine...with a twist. She was one of those girls who would put in all of the extra time needed to be the very best athlete that she could be. "I need two legs to do gymnastics." Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. The leukemia diagnosis was a significant blow to the budding athlete. Please help us improve LittleThings by taking our short survey. This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses.