Savage man with limb loss in competition to win adaptive motorcycle

One man from Savage thought his dream of taking to the open road on his motorcycle was dead after he had his left leg amputated.

But now Terry "Tiger" Leposwky could be just weeks away from having his dream bike.

"Being on that bike gave me a sense of ‘being,’" Lepowski said.

But the 65-year-old said three and a half years ago his sense of "being" changed.

"It was a rollercoaster ride," Lepowski said.

Tiger said he had to get a partial knee replacement in his right leg. Then, a left knee replacement. He got a staph infection and needed a dozen more surgeries.

"And then the 13th was when we decided that we needed to take my leg," Lepowski said. "… It was a really big decision because my life came to a halt."

No more weekend motorcycle rides with his wife. And the struggle of learning how to do everyday things.

Leslie Green, Community Care Coordinator with Hangar Clinics, who coordinates support groups and has helped Tiger through his journey.

"How we do things is different, but what we desire isn’t any different," Green said. "… Our passions are part of our identity, and when you’ve lost your limb, it affects your identity. … Anytime we can put those things back into place for a person, we almost guarantee that they’re going to regain their identity."

Aaron Holm, the executive director of Wiggle Your Toes knows first hand. He started the organization after he got injured.

Holm said often major car manufacturers offer compensation to people with disabilities to make their cars and trucks accessible. But he said that’s not usually the case with things like recreational vehicles or fitness products.

"We get a lot of pushback from insurance companies, fitness products — things like that are not covered," Holm said.

And a lot must be paid for out of your own pocket. It’s why Tiger hopes to win a competition to get him back on a motorcycle with the right modifications.

"Tiger, out there on the road, on his motorcycle, if he were to win this contest would just bring a lot of awareness to this community," Holm said.

To help with balance, Lepowski is hoping to get a three-wheel motorcycle and, one that’s automatic.

"To get that bike is a dream for me," he said. "It’s a dream because I won’t feel like an amputee."

Tiger is participating in the Dream Chopper national competition to win an adaptive motorcycle. There are many rounds of competition until a final winner is selected. The first round of voting ends Thursday night.

To learn more about support and resources contact Leslie Green, Community Care Coordinator with the Hangar Clinics at 952-221-5186 or email legreen@hangar.com.