“Gaylord is the reason why I can call myself an athlete”
Tara McNeil broke down in tears as she crossed the finish line of the 2023 Madison Triathlon in last place.
But her tears were not of disappointment; they were of pure joy. For Tara, completing a triathlon was a major milestone that was nearly impossible to consider only years earlier.
Born with arthrogryposis, a rare condition that caused her feet to turn nearly backward, at the age of three months, Tara underwent the first of more than a dozen corrective surgeries throughout her childhood.
By her mid-twenties, pain had become Tara’s constant companion. As the years passed, her fused ankles deteriorated to “bone-on-bone”, making every movement, every step agonizing.
At 39, the mom of two decided to voluntarily pursue bilateral below-knee amputations. Tara strongly believed that the radical surgeries would greatly improve her quality of life, but not everyone shared her confidence.
“My family was skeptical,” she recalls. “So I found Gaylord’s amputee support group online and took my parents and kids to a meeting. I wanted them to see that amputees could live full and active lives.”
The experience was transformative, not only for Tara but for her entire family. “My then five-year-old son would proudly tell anyone he could make eye contact with that his mom has a robot leg,” she laughs.
After each amputation, Tara relied heavily on the group for support, advice, and camaraderie. She remembers the day Katie Joly, Program Manager of the Gaylord Sports Association, came to a meeting to discuss adaptive sports.
“Suddenly, a whole new world was opened up,” she says. “I had been missing out on so much. You don’t realize how much pain is holding you back until it is gone. I wanted to try everything and see what my new body can do!”
And she did.
Tara took on adaptive archery, cycling, skiing, and waterskiing and discovered an unexpected favorite: snowboarding. She even participated in the Gaylord Gauntlet 5k Trail and Obstacle Run - twice.
Her biggest challenge? Conquering the Madison Triathlon with the Gaylord Sports Association paratriathlon team.
The months-long training pushed Tara to her limits, and the race itself tested her in ways she hadn’t imagined.
“Lots and lots of jellyfish stings,” she laughs.
She marvels at the well-coordinated teamwork and support it took to make her participation in the triathlon possible. “From pulling me out of the water on a beach stroller to helping me put on my prosthetics for the cycling portion, they were there, helping, to make sure I was nothing less than successful.”
“I’m an athlete,” she proudly reflects. “Just being able to say that puts a smile on my face.”
Now, after a decade with the amputee support group, Tara has transitioned from being in need of support to giving it.
“There is a light at the end of the tunnel,” she tells people with recent amputations. “Be patient with yourself and your healing and consider adaptive sports. It’s therapeutic, it’s fun, and no matter what you’re interested in, Gaylord will always find a way to make it work.”
