Living without limits: Ashleigh Bentz shares her story at Think Summit

Some careers are born out of passion, while others are shaped by lived experience.  

For Ashleigh Bentz, her journey to becoming a prosthetic-orthotic assistant at CoxHealth was deeply personal – one that began long before she chose her career. Now, she’s sharing her story on stage at Biz 417's Think Summit event.  

Last spring, Ashleigh, encouraged by leadership in her department, applied and was accepted into Biz 417’s “Remark/Able” program, a six-week training experience designed to help women craft and deliver impactful speeches. The program guides participants in refining their message, building confidence and preparing to share stories with a larger audience.  

“The first week or two, I struggled with the idea of ‘why are you doing this?’ There were CEOs, Directors – I had it in my head that these people are making an actual difference. Then, I finally was like ‘You do the same thing!’ I just didn’t think of it in that way. Once I figured that out and what I wanted to share, it kind of poured out from there.”

Ashleigh’s speech centers around the theme of living without limits - exploring how her experiences have shaped her perspective and encouraging others to live a more empathetic life.  

Her story is one of resilience. Born without a fibula in her right leg, doctors made the decision to amputate her leg below the knee when she was just two years old. That experience, rather than holding her back, fueled her passion for prosthetics and orthotics.

Determined to turn her personal journey into a way to help others, she pursued prosthetics and orthotics in college at Oklahoma State University. She then joined CoxHealth’s prosthetics and orthotics department, first at the front desk, and now as a prosthetic-orthotic assistant, where she works with patients hands-on.

“I wanted to be with patients – that's where I’m better. I like connecting with patients, finding and understanding their needs, because I’ve been in their shoes. I want them to have that personal connection because we’re in this for the long haul.”

At Think Summit, Ashleigh hopes to form that same kind of personal connection with the audience.

“My daughter is twelve, and she has known that mom puts on her leg and goes on with her day from a young age. She has been tenderhearted towards people who have physical differences because she has seen that on a daily basis. I want that to be normal for everybody,” says Ashleigh. “I’ve never been given a stage that big before to share my story. If my story changes even one person’s point of view, then I’ve done what I’ve needed to do.”

We’re so excited for Ashleigh to share her story on the Think Summit stage. She continues to make a positive impact, both in our clinic and beyond, and we are so proud of her!