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AMP’D UP: The Quiet Heroes 

August 16, 2026

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

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AMP’D UP: Rewriting the Story 

July 2, 2026

Dr. Jokima Hiller with Sabrina, the superhero she created from her own journey of limb loss.    By Rick Bontkowski Somewhere along the way, a prosthetic leg became a superhero.  That sentence sounds impossible until you meet Dr. Jokima Hiller. Today, Sabrina lives inside the pages of two children’s books, Sabrina and Her New Shoe and Sabrina, The ShoeperHero. Young readers see an adventurous character overcoming obstacles with courage and curiosity. What

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AMP’D UP: Finding Solid Footing After Everything Fell Apart 

May 31, 2026

Katy Grainger’s journey through sepsis, limb loss, survival, and rebuilding a life with purpose.  By Rick Bontkowski Katy Grainger remembers waking up alone on the floor of her Hawaii home unable to understand why her body was shutting down. The room was dark. Her body ached. She struggled to piece together where she was and how she got there. Just hours earlier, she believed she was dealing with a small infection

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AMP’D UP: A Season to Start Again  

May 7, 2026

This spring, Angelina Martinson reminds us that the joy isn’t in being perfect, it’s in being willing to try.  By Rick Bontkowski, Spring doesn’t arrive quietly. It pushes its way in, warming the air, stretching the days, and nudging all of us back outside. There’s something about this time of year that invites movement. Walks get longer, trails call louder, and for many of us, it feels like a fresh start.  But for amputees, “getting back out there” can

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AMP’D UP: Awareness Changes Everything 

April 3, 2026

Limb loss changed my body. Awareness changed my purpose.  By Rick Bontkowski The room is quiet except for the soft mechanical rhythm of a prosthetic foot meeting the floor. Step. Pause. Step again. For many amputees, that sound marks the beginning of a completely new life.  April is Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month, and for the past several years, I’ve used this space in The Springs Magazine to highlight remarkable people in the amputee

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AMP’D UP: Why the Paralympics Matter  

March 7, 2026

Team USA’s Kevan Hueftle, proof that comeback is a decision, not a moment.  By Rick Bontkowski In early March, the world will turn its eyes to Italy as the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games open on March 6, 2026, and run through March 15. Over ten days, the best winter Para athletes on earth will compete across six sports and 79 medal events, carving speed and precision into snow, ice,

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AMP’D UP: Finding Your Voice – Gini Thomas and the Power of Advocacy 

February 9, 2026

For Gini Thomas, advocacy begins with showing up as herself and inviting others to learn, listen, and engage.  By Rick BontkowskiAdvocacy rarely begins on a stage. More often, it starts quietly, in lived experience, in unanswered questions, and in the decision to speak when silence would be easier. For Gini Thomas, advocacy has become both a responsibility and a calling.  Gini is an amputee, educator, and content creator who has

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AMP’D UP: Reimagining the Future in 2026: Viktoria Modesta & the New Shape of Possibility 

January 1, 2026

Viktoria Modesta challenges traditional ideas of beauty and ability, transforming her prosthetic into a powerful expression of identity, creativity, and the future of self-design. —photo by Propela Limited  By Rick Bontkowski, A new year invites more than resolutions; it invites reinvention. January is a moment to question old definitions and imagine what the future could look like if we stop accepting limits that were never meant to be permanent. Few artists

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AMP’D UP: The Rhythm of Reinvention 

November 28, 2025

Where technology meets soul, rhythm finds a new heartbeat—photo courtesy of Guinness World Records.  By Rick BontkowskiWhen life takes something from you, it often leaves behind a choice: to stop or to start again in a different way. For drummer Jason Barnes, that choice came after a devastating electrical accident that cost him part of his right arm. Most would have seen an ending. Jason saw an opening.  What began

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The Amputee Who Lost 250 Pounds and Found Himself 

November 1, 2025

Two photos. One man. A lifetime between them. Proof that change begins the moment you stop making excuses.  By Rick Bontkowski Some transformations are visible. Others happen deep within, in the quiet moments when you decide to stop giving up on yourself.  For Mark Ksobiech, the journey began with loss, the kind that forces you to start over completely. After the amputation of his leg, Mark faced not only the physical

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AMP’D UP – Crooked Halo: The Artistry of Eric Eckenberger 

September 28, 2025

Creating beauty from struggle, Eric’s halo remains unbroken.  By Rick BontkowskiSome people rebuild their lives after hardship; others transform that struggle into an engine of relentless creation. Eric Eckenberger is one of those rare souls who has refused to let the loss of a limb limit him. Instead, he has poured his energy into art, music, clothing, and community, crafting a life that is as inventive as it is inspiring. 

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Finishing Strong: Parker Byrd’s Season of Grit 

September 4, 2025

Parker Byrd, making history as the first NCAA Division I baseball player to compete with a prosthetic leg, proving the season’s greatest wins aren’t always on the scoreboard.   By Rick Bontkowski  As fall rolls in, the crack of the bat grows rarer, stadium lights dim earlier, and another baseball season heads toward its close. It’s a time when players reflect on the year behind them, what they’ve overcome, what they’ve achieved,

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August brings a special kind of cheer to our quirky little town, as we celebrate two remarkable milestones: the City of Hot Springs’ 150th birthday and the 37th birthday of Gallery Walk. Together, they mark generations of creativity, community spirit, and the enduring belief that art belongs to everyone.  For 37 years, our artists,

Yoga: Finding Balance Through Dancer Pose  

Can you find this mural? Text us a selfie with it in the month of August and receive a free drop-in! 501-651-0545. Hint: Donuts on Park Avenue. Photo by Missy Conry & Melissa Stevens  By Missy Conry & Melissa StevensYoga is often described as the practice of finding balance—both on and off the

Save the Date: Gudrun Mountain Bike Festival   

Registration is now open for the Eighth Annual Gudrun Mountain Bike Festival on Hot Springs’ acclaimed Northwoods Trails. The mountain bike extravaganza annually attracts hundreds of bikers of all abilities to Northwoods, which has been voted the No. 1 trail system in Arkansas six times. There are events geared for professionals, novice

Vibrant Nightlife in The Spa City 

When the sun dips below the Ouachita Mountains, Hot Springs reveals a vibrant and surprisingly diverse nightlife scene waiting to be explored. From cozy dive bars and bustling craft breweries to cocktail lounges and venues pulsing with live music, there’s an after-dark adventure suited for every mood.  Whether you’re looking