LOCAL 8-YEAR-OLD CHALLENGED ATHLETE RECEIVES SURPRISE LIFE-CHANGING SPORTS GRANT FOR ÖSSUR RUNNING LEG AT NIKE WORLD HEADQUARTERS

Portland, Oregon, April 08, 2018 -- Portland, Oregon (April 7, 2018) - Over 100 individuals with physical challenges from the Pacific Northwest region participated on Saturday, April 7^th at the Nike World Headquarters in Challenged Athletes Foundation® (CAF) adaptive sports clinics. Össur, CAF, Nike and Adaptive Sports Northwest presented these clinics at no cost to participants. The clinics taught sports skills and built community across five different sports clinics: running and mobility, wheelchair track racing, swimming, sitting volleyball and rock climbing.

Grant recipient Matthias Leonard running on his new Össur running leg at the Össur Running and Mobility Clinic Presented by CAF at the Nike World Headquarters CAF Spokespeople and Nike athletes Sarah Reinertsen and Scout Bassett present Mathhias with his verv own running foot.

At the Össur Running & Mobility Clinic presented by CAF, participants learned from the best, including:

• Sarah Reinertsen - Team Össur, Nike athlete, CAF spokesperson, first amputee woman to complete the IRONMAN World Championship and the 777 World Marathon Challenge
• Mohamed Lahna - Bronze Paralympic medalist, Team Össur, IRONMAN, first person with a limb difference to swim across the Strait of Gibraltar and finish the Norseman Xtreme Triathlon.
• Scout Bassett - Team USA track and field sprinter, Nike athlete and CAF Spokesperson. Scout was adopted from an orphanage in Nanjing, China and discovered her love of running at age 14 when CAF granted her an Össur Flex-Run foot.

For 8-year old Matthias Leonard from Corvallis, Oregon (pictured left in the above photo) who was born missing his right leg and adopted at an early age from an orphanage in China, started the day with a surprise grant presentation of an Össur Cheetah Junior running foot. Throughout the clinic, Matthias learned to use his new running prosthesis, alongside experts Dr. Bob Gailey and Peter Harsch - world-renowned Össur coaches who specialize in lower limb amputee mobility. They taught proper gait and running techniques to all attendees through fun drills and exercises. All athletes were supported by local volunteers, including Nike employees and Össur and CAF’s Paralympian and elite mentors. 

“Össur has been dedicated to developing innovative prosthetic technologies for over 40 years. As part of our commitment to the limb loss community, we partnered with CAF to create the Össur Running & Mobility clinics as a forum where they can learn to reach their true physical potential. Hundreds of people attend our Running and Mobility Clinics each year across the U.S., and we are inspired by everyone who participates, including young people like Matthias, who passionately demonstrate what it means to live a Life Without Limitations,” said Tabi King, Director of Prosthetics Marketing for Össur Americas.   

Thanks to community partners Adaptive Sports Northwest (ASNW), Oregon Adaptive Sports, ParaSport Spokane – local amputee participants and wheelchair athletes joined four other CAF clinics: Wheelchair Track Racing, Swim, Sitting Volleyball and an Adaptive Climbing Demo led by Oregon Adaptive Sports.

The partnership between CAF and Nike started in 1994. As one of the first sponsors of CAF’s San Diego Triathlon Challenge, Nike donated running shoes that year and has continued over the last 25 years to provide product donations and financial support totaling over $1,000,000. Nike’s support has allowed CAF to significantly underwrite event costs and provide funding to benefit CAF athlete grants. In 2017, CAF and Nike launched The Athlete’s Path program to pilot a personalized approach to developing youth athletes with physical challenges.

CAF Spokesperson, Paralympian and Nike athlete, Scout Bassett said, “I am humbled to be a mentor and role model to young Challenged Athletes like Matthias who, through this partnership with Össur, Nike, CAF and ASNW, are given the opportunities to reach their greatest potential through sports.”

At Nike, our mission is to bring inspiration and innovation to every athlete – and, if you have a body, you are an athlete,” said Tobie Hatfield, Sr. Director of Athlete Innovation. “We believe in the power of sport to unleash human potential, which is why we’re proud to support the Challenged Athletes Foundation and Össur in hosting the annual Running & Mobility Clinic at the Nike World Headquarters.” 

Media Photos: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/evlzkrgdl04yfhf/AAD_QFiTRTg9-SkprzOUHTypa?dl=0

About the Challenged Athletes Foundation

The Challenged Athletes Foundation® (CAF) is a world leader in helping people with physical challenges lead active, healthy lifestyles. CAF believes that participation in physical activity at any level increases self-esteem, encourages independence and enhances quality of life. Since 1994, more than $95 million has been raised and over 21,000 grants funded to people with physical challenges in all 50 states and 70. Additionally, CAF’s outreach efforts reach another 60,000 individuals each year. Whether it’s a $2,500 grant for a handcycle, helping underwrite a carbon fiber running foot not covered by insurance, or arranging enthusiastic encouragement from a mentor who has triumphed over a similar challenge, CAF’s mission is clear: give opportunities and support to those with the desire to live an active and athletic lifestyle. To learn more, visit www.challengedathletes.org and follow @cafoundation.

About Össur
Össur (NASDAQ: OSSR) is a global leader in non-invasive orthopaedics that help people live a Life Without Limitations. Its business is focused on improving people’s mobility through the delivery of innovative technologies within the fields of Prosthetic, Osteoarthritis and Injury Solutions. A recognized “Technology Pioneer,” Össur invests significantly in research and product development—its award-winning designs ensuring a consistently strong position in the market. Successful patient and clinical outcomes are further empowered via Össur’s educational programs and business solutions. Headquartered in Iceland, Össur has major operations in the Americas, Europe and Asia, with additional distributors worldwide. To learn more, visit www.ossur.com.

About Nike
NIKE, Inc., based near Beaverton, Oregon, is the world's leading designer, marketer and distributor of authentic athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories for a wide variety of sports and fitness activities. Wholly owned NIKE, Inc. subsidiaries include Converse Inc., which designs, markets and distributes athletic lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories; and Hurley International LLC, which designs, markets and distributes surf and youth lifestyle footwear, apparel and accessories. For more information, NIKE’s earnings releases and other financial information are available at http://investors.nike.com. Individuals can also visit: http://news.nike.com and follow @Nike.

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Laura Stein
Challenged Athletes Foundation
858.210.3507
[email protected]