I first met Rex at the Amputee Coalition National Conference. Today, I’m proud to call him a friend and fellow advocate.
By Rick Bontkowski
Every year, thousands of amputees gather at the Amputee Coalition National Conference. It’s a place filled with remarkable stories, incredible technology, and people proving every day that life after limb loss is anything but limited.
It was there that I met Rex Ellebracht. At first glance, Rex didn’t demand attention. He wasn’t standing on a stage or surrounded by a crowd. He was simply another attendee, smiling, introducing himself, and eager to connect. As someone who hosts the AMP’D UP211 Podcast, I’ve learned that the most powerful stories rarely announce themselves. They’re discovered in conversations.
As Rex and I stayed in touch after the conference, I began to understand who he really was.
A bilateral amputee, Rex lost his first leg in 2013 and his second in 2023. Many people would understandably focus on simply adapting to life after such profound loss. Rex chose another path. He became a builder of community.
As co-founder of a limb loss support group in Lawrence, Kansas, Rex has created a place where others can find encouragement, resources, and hope. His work didn’t stop there. He helped secure official Limb Loss Awareness Month proclamations from both the Governor of Kansas and the Mayor of Lawrence, ensuring that the limb loss community is seen and recognized. He’s also been advocating with state legislators to bring the “So Every Body Can Move Act” to Kansas, working to improve access to prosthetic care for countless others.
That’s what impressed me most.
Not that Rex survived.
That he decided survival wasn’t enough.
There are people who change the world from a stage, and then there are people who quietly change it one conversation, one relationship, and one act of service at a time.
Those are the heroes we don’t always see.
And those are exactly the heroes worth celebrating.
Rex is one of those people.
Rick Bontkowski, a Chicago native and amputee, is the host creator of The AMP’D UP211 Podcast. A drummer, cyclist, and advocate, Rick shares the stories of people with limb differences to inspire, inform, and challenge perceptions worldwide. Contact info: Ampup211@gmail.com, ampup211.com, youtube.com/@theampdup211podcast6, instagram.com/rick_bontkowski.
{Discover additional stories from Rick’s podcast on our website at thespringsmagazine.com/category/health-wellness/ampd-up211/.}
