A champion’s journey: Carl Rose’s resilience and the power of prosthetics

For Carl Rose, a former Olympian and lifelong competitor, resiliency has defined both his athletic career and his journey with prosthetics.

As a young boy in London, England, Carl fell in love with the game of soccer – and was quite impressive at it.

This hobby soon jumpstarted his career, as Carl was recruited to join Canada’s soccer team for the 1976 Montreal Summer Olympics.

After his professional playing days, including the Olympics and the Major Indoor Soccer League with teams like the New York Arrows and St. Louis Steamers, Carl transitioned into coaching.

An opportunity to mentor young athletes brought him to the Springfield area, where he coached for 27 years.

“When coaching, you teach that you give your best at everything you do. You work hard and you’re serious about it,” says Carl.

After decades of helping young athletes reach their full potential, Carl’s own journey took an unexpected turn in 2019.

Carl began experiencing severe pain in his feet. Following testing and referrals, doctors discovered an infection that required immediate surgery. Within 24 hours, Carl began his first of three surgeries in nine days to remove his right leg just below the knee.

Carl’s response to the situation? “You’re not going to beat me.”

Since his surgery, Carl has continued to work closely with our Prosthetics and Orthotics team to find the perfect fit for him, focusing on comfort and functionality through a process of trial and error.

“I could sit here and say, ‘Why me?’ but I choose to say, ‘Why not me?’. It’s like I say with soccer, if you’re a good player, you have to adapt. I just had to adapt myself to having one leg,” says Carl.

This year, the Prosthetics and Orthotics team is celebrating their 10-year anniversary. The team offers custom fabrication and fitting, as well as comprehensive rehabilitation services, for those with limb loss due to vascular disease, cancer, diabetes or a traumatic injury. The team has been happy to serve nearly 13,000 patients over the years.

Almost two million people in the U.S. are living with the loss of a limb, and Carl encourages anyone with a need to reach out to the team.

“There’s a lot that goes into this, but they make it as smooth as possible,” says Carl. “From the people who helped me with my prosthetic to the doctors, nurses and more, they have helped me and pushed me to be better. I could say it was all me, but it wasn’t. It took everyone, my village - my wife, son, family and friends – and the team at CoxHealth. I’ve been well taken care of.”

Carl’s story is a powerful reminder of the resilience it takes to overcome life’s challenges and the strength that comes from the support of a team. As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of our Prosthetics and Orthotics team, we look forward to continuing to empower and assist patients like Carl to overcome any challenge!

Learn more about our Prosthetics and Orthotics team at this link.