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Whether she’s biking down the Pacific coast, taking her message to Washington, D.C., or climbing a volcano in Ecuador, Nicole is running around the world helping to elevate the voices of the disability community!

Check out Nicole’s latest posts and follow her @RunForrestStump:

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Today marks the start of Limb Loss Awareness Month Today marks the start of Limb Loss Awareness Month and I’m excited to be teaming up with the Range of Motion Project @rompglobal on their awareness campaign #AwarenessStartsWithUs! 9 out of 10 amputees worldwide do not have access to prosthetic care. This is a horrific injustice we must solve and it’s time we put this issue front and center, especially during a month that is dedicated to individuals with limb loss. This month, I’ll be one of 14 amputees sharing my story about how my life has been transformed through a prosthesis. We believe prosthetics are not simply medical devices, but instruments of personal empowerment. Everyone deserves equitable access to healthcare. Everyone deserves access to their full potential. You can help this month by sharing your own story and taking part in our national component collection drive. Share why mobility matters to you or how your prosthesis has transformed your life. Donate or recruit others to donate new and used prosthetic components for our patients. Together, we can change this. Check out the link in my bio! #AwarenessStartsWithUs #LLAM #LimbLossAwarenessMonth #ROMPGlobal #MobilityForAll #WhatsYourMountain #amputee #prosthetics #access #healthcare #hiking #getoutdoors #movementismedicine #nature #trailrunning #runforreststump #lifewithoutlimitations #PNW #runner #hiker #unlikelyhikers
Thanks to @natharold for always getting me to try Thanks to @natharold for always getting me to try new things! It’s been at least a decade since I’ve been rollerblading and always had some issues with alignment/movement of my prosthetic leg in the boot. In the second pic you can see it leaning = hard to skate on. 😬 Well, with a good ole T-handle and some determination to have fun, we got it done! Nat was able to change the alignment on my leg so that I could skate without pain in my socket AND so that my wheels were perpendicular to the ground! AND IT WAS SO FUN! Video at the end to prove it. 😉☺️ Another new sport I love and will have lots of fun doing thanks to Nat and her willingness to help me make sure I have #nolimits. PSA: I am not wearing a helmet for this trial and that was a bad decision! Helmets are mandatory!! #runforreststump #amputee #wejustfeltlikerollerblading #access #physicalactivity #sport #exercise #disabledandproud #disability #iamadaptive #adapt #bemoreadaptive #goals #beyou #getactive #rollerblade #rollerblading
I think my soul was born in the PNW! There’s som I think my soul was born in the PNW! There’s something about feeling so small that makes you feel so alive. I’ll never get tired of these vistas and looking up at the towering trees above me. Each step I take is a blessing and I’m lucky to have my hiking buddy alongside me for laughs, stories, and cider. In 2021, we are putting our miles towards a goal: to give others their first steps. My team which is made up of some amazing people including @natharold @stephharold @truesuz @lpizzski @kathleenexplores and @paulhaidri will be moving 2,021 miles and raising $2,021 for prosthetic care for those without access. We are part of a larger group - @rompglobal ROMP’s 2021 Mobility Club - which now has 24 teams raising money and miles for mobility!! I’ve put the link in my bio and I’d be honored if you’d sponsor a few of our miles this year. We will share more photos and tales from the trails along the way. #runforreststump #rompglobal #2021rompclub #mobilityforall #prosthetics #amputee #hiking #pnw #access #healthcare #pnw #oysterdome #pugetsound #whatsyourmountain #whatsyourmeowntain #wejustfeltlikehiking
I’m so excited to share this challenge that I’ I’m so excited to share this challenge that I’ll be helping to lead as part of @rompglobal! We are looking for 21 ambitious team leaders to join our 2021 Mobility Club and recruit a team to complete 2,021 miles and raise $2,021 in 2021!! We have workplace teams, school groups, friends, and families dedicating their miles to mobility and helping provide prosthetics to those in need. Throughout the year we’ll be giving out prizes from @kleankanteen, @yeti, @ospreypacks, @honeystinger and more! We’ll also be updating you on the individual lives you’re helping and their first steps towards mobility. I know how important mobility is in my life. Dedicating my miles so that others can enjoy that too was an easy decision! I hope you’ll join me in this quest for #mobilityforall and either join or create your own team! Link in bio to sign up and learn more. Feel free to DM with any questions! P.s. 4th pic in is me and Natalie climbing down off of Cotopaxi back in 2018! We were so exhausted! Amazing shot by @silverlinefilms. #runforreststump #rompglobal #whatsyourmountain #access #healthcare #mobility #freedom #2021in2021 #2021challenge #exerciseismedicine #movementismedicine #amputee #prosthetics
Hello 2021! I’ve been so excited to share this u Hello 2021! I’ve been so excited to share this update in Forrest Stump’s journey... a dream coming to life! Forrest Stump has joined forces with @rompglobal and I’ve joined the ROMP Global Team as Associate Director of Development! The past two weeks have been incredible working together and I’m excited for many more to come. In 2018, when Natalie and I first climbed with ROMP in Ecuador as part of the Elite Team 🗻, it was clear there were incredible synergies in our work. Since then, we've found ways to partner and advance our shared vision of #MobilityForAll. Now, I am excited to bring this partnership even closer by joining ROMP's staff full-time. As part of my role with ROMP, I will bring Forrest Stump’s mission and advocacy programs, #WeJustFeltLikeRunning and The Rights of People With Disabilities to Exercise, helping to expand and unify our organizations' shared reach and impact. Over the next 5 years, our goal will be to raise $5-million to benefit 5,000 amputees in the US and Latin America who would otherwise not have access to prosthetic care. This level of impact will require new partnerships, geographic expansion, and community involvement. We can’t do this alone and I hope you’ll join us in this exciting mission of empowering others through mobility! Learn more through the link in my bio and follow @rompglobal if you’re not already! #runforreststump #rompglobal #united #joinforces #mobility #whatsyourmountain #ourrighttoexercise #queremoscorrer #ecuador #usa #latinamerica #advocacy #amputee #prosthetics #access #2021
19 years!! Cancer free. Leg free. And still going 19 years!! Cancer free. Leg free. And still going strong! 😊 Thankful for moments like these, the little moments that matter. Chasing bubbles, laughing, enjoying nature. I’m so glad my parents and I made the decision to amputate on January 21st, 2002 so that I could experience so many more moments like this. I’m also so thankful for the life being an amputee has given me. The amazing people I’ve met, the work I’ve been able to do. It’s given me such purpose and love. Thank you to so many who have helped me along the way, from surviving cancer to thriving as an amputee, and everything in between. It means the world. 🌍🦿 #amputee #disabledbutnotreally #iamadaptive #livelife #bubbles #nature #ampuversary #prosthesis #laugh #smile #move #forward #keepgoing #love #embrace #gratitude #anniversary #mlk #disabilityrights #grateful #cancer #osteosarcoma #survivor #fuckcancer
Happy Holidays from me and Nat! We enjoyed a littl Happy Holidays from me and Nat! We enjoyed a little escape from our Christmas quarantine today to breathe some fresh air and enjoy the swells off the Puget. 2020 has been one of the most challenging years. A year of balance: Ups and downs. Positives and negatives. Laughter and tears. Gains and losses. But we’ve certainly learned a lot and grown along the way. We’re so grateful to our friends and family who’ve sat next to us on this roller coaster of a year. You’ve made this year special for us and #ForrestStump. Wherever you’re spending your holiday, we hope the end of your year is filled with peace, joy, and happiness! Much love to you all! #runforreststump #happyholidays #pugetsound #washington #newyear #covid #covidchristmas #seattle #thankful #strength #power #purpose
Have you voted? 🗳 I’m thankful that the state Have you voted? 🗳 I’m thankful that the state of Washington respects the right to vote and makes it accessible to its residents. Make sure your voice is heard tomorrow! The only way our political leaders will know what our priorities are is if we tell them. They represent US! Tell them on your ballot. I’m voting for #disabilityrights #womensrights #lgbtqrights because this is important to me and my family! #IVoted2020 #amputee #disabledandproud #vote #election #getoutandvote #disability #access #inclusion #accessibility #healthcare #prosthetics #wheelchairs #ourrighttoexercise #abetterfuture #wejustfeltlikerunning #runforreststump
I’m truly lucky to have a partner that has suppo I’m truly lucky to have a partner that has supported my every dream. Whether it’s been climbing a volcano, starting a nonprofit together, or running a marathon, @natharold has always been there right by my side. She never gets enough credit for the incredible energy she puts in. She doesn’t like being in front of the camera - or behind it for that matter 😂 - but she deserves the spotlight. I want to give her a shout out for her amazing work on Forrest Stump’s #WeJustFeltLikeRunning campaign. She’s a woman of many talents... from designing the race bibs, to making my prosthetic running leg, to all the behind the scenes admin work. She gets the job done! Thank you Nat for your dedication to this mission and your passion to bring justice and equality to the disability community! Forever my SAG wagon. ☺️🌈👩‍❤️‍👩 #ourrighttoexercise #runforreststump #firstmarathon #running #runner #run #triathlon #swim #bike #amputee #disability #access #runningblade #bladerunner #equality #equalrights #justice #healthcare #athlete #lgbtq #girlfriend #partnerincrime #disabledbutnotreally #iamadaptive #goals #squadgoals
It’s been AMAZING seeing all of the posts, photo It’s been AMAZING seeing all of the posts, photos, and videos come flooding in to Forrest Stump from across the country for the #WeJustFeltLikeRunning movement! It’s one thing to share the numbers and stats... but it doesn’t really hit home until you start reading the names, the cities, and see the photos from everyone who participated. I wanted to share a few here of individuals from all over who exercised their body and their voice this weekend for #disabilityrights! If you haven’t yet, upload your race day photos and videos to our Dropbox so that you are included in our recap video to Congress!! (Link in bio). Let’s keep the effort from this weekend going strong. Advocacy is definitely a marathon, not a sprint. 😂💪 So sign our petition and share it with others!! Let’s get to 10K signatures!! 💚🌲🦿 #ourrighttoexercise #runforreststump #movementforchange #signourpetition #access #healthcare #equality #equalrights #prosthetics #orthotics #wheelchair #runningblade #amputee #spinabifida #cerebralpalsy #exercise #moveyourbody #advocacy #policy #athlete #running #runners #run #bike
On behalf of our entire team at Forrest Stump, THA On behalf of our entire team at Forrest Stump, THANK YOU! We are amazed and so incredibly proud of the amount of support and community that came together this past Saturday, 10/03 to race for disability rights! Because of you, we blew past the goals we set out for the #WeJustFeltLikeRunning campaign and accomplished some amazing results: - 629 registered racers - 23% of participants were individuals with disabilities - 6,691 miles pledged (enough to cross the USA more than twice!) - $12,624 dollars fundraised - 7,585 signatures on our petition (and counting!) We are tallying up more stats from race day and look forward to sharing more soon, including some surprise virtual awards! In the meantime, we want to hear from you! Can you upload your race day photos and videos to our Dropbox folder? (➡️Link in bio!) We will use these to create a race recap video for our community, and also share it with Congress. We want you represented! Given Congress is in the heat of an election year, we will be delivering our petition, event recap video, and policy paper to members after November 3rd so that it gets the attention it deserves. In the meantime, we will still be promoting our petition with a goal of reaching 10,000 signatures before we deliver it. We just surpassed our 7,500 signature milestone and we need your help to get to 10K. Will you sign our petition, and then share it with your family and friends? (➡️Link in bio!!) We need your help on this final push! Thank you again for your support of Forrest Stump’s inaugural, nationwide virtual race for disability rights! We are excited for what's to come and are proud to have you as fellow advocates in this fight for justice. #RunForrestStump #OurRightToExercise #disability #disabilityrights #access #awareness #inclusion #exercise #physicalactivity #amputee #wheelchair #handcycle #pushrim #orthosis #disabledandproud #runner #run #running #runnersofinstagram #goals #runacrossamerica #congress #signourpetition
Today was AMAZING because of all of YOU! Wow. I’ Today was AMAZING because of all of YOU! Wow. I’m speechless with the support and all of you who got out and moved for Forrest Stump’s #WeJustFeltLikeRunning today and raised your voice for #disabilityrights! Thanks to my Seattle contingent and amazing support crew, I was able to accomplish a lifelong dream of running a marathon. It also wouldn’t have been possible without my “not medically necessary” running blade. Individuals with disabilities should have the opportunity to accomplish their dreams just like everyone else and be able to participate in physical exercise that makes them whole physically, emotionally, and socially. I’m super proud of everyone who recorded some amazing firsts today and pushed themselves to get active. I want to give special kudos to our Seattle crew including @mallorieruns who ran her first half marathon today - 13.1 miles! - after just receiving her first ever running blade 6 months ago! To Lina @linagarada who has MS and pushes through muscle weakness and fatigue to be the best endurance athlete and teammate she can be. And to Erin @erinhundtofte who is conquering a new diagnosis of Celiac disease with incredible perseverance. Each of these ladies inspires me to fight for the disability community. I look forward to reading through each and every one of your posts over the next couple days and sharing what we accomplished on Strava! For now, I’m going to ice my legs and eat this giant pizza. Thank you all for your incredible support! We’re just getting started. #OurRightToExercise #RunForrestStump #disability #access #inclusion #equality #runner #firstmarathon #run #marathon #26.2 #runnersofinstagram #pushyourself #healthcare #getactive #friends #thankful #gratitude #community
It’s time! #WeJustFeltLikeRunning is here! Close It’s time! #WeJustFeltLikeRunning is here! Close to 600 people are signed up and logging miles for a purpose! Today, let’s exercise our bodies AND our voices by helping raise awareness and advocate for the disability community. Before or after completing your miles, or if you’re just now seeing this and you want to be part of today, our team would love it if you could help with one - or all - of the following ACTION STEPS: 1) Sign Our Petition! 🖊 (Link in bio 💪) 2) Post to Social Media (tag @runforreststump and use the hashtag #WeJustFeltLikeRunning and #OurRightToExercise) 3) Upload your race day photos and videos to our Dropbox. We will be compiling a video to Congress! (Link in bio 💪) Let’s exercise our right to exercise and make sure the disability community is not forgotten. Thank you for your support and being a part of this movement! #WeJustFeltLikeRunning #OurRightToExercise #RunForrestStump #virtualrace #disabilityrights #advocate #useyourvoice #voiceforchange #running #biking #handcycling
Obligatory pre-race gear post! We ready for #WeJus Obligatory pre-race gear post! We ready for #WeJustFeltLikeRunning, racing for disability rights! As I started to lay this all out, I began to think of each piece with a price tag: Shorts: $25 Singlet: $35 Socks: $6 Shoes: $120 Chews: $2 Gel: $2 Sunglasses: $100 Prosthetic running leg: $15,000 I think it becomes clear pretty quickly what we mean by #equitable access to physical activity. How can we ever expect amputees, or wheelchair or orthotic users to get to a starting line that costs them tens of thousands of dollars when for other people it might be a couple hundred? When you lace up and hit the starting line, do you ever look around and think about who is not here but could be? Do you ever wonder why? Physical activity should not cost tens of thousands of dollars to be able to participate. But that’s exactly the position individuals with disabilities are put in when insurance companies deny them access to assistive technologies needed for athletics as “not medically necessary.” I want to run just like everyone else. And this is what it takes me do that. It’s time we make exercise accessible for all. 🎤 drop. Sign our petition! Race with us! Let’s change this! #ourrighttoexercise #runforreststump #running #runner #run #advocate #policy #access #equity #equality #disability #amputee #prosthesis #bladerunner #ossur #lifewithoutlimitations #change #exercise #sport #physicalactivity #athlete #gear #letsrace #iamadaptive
WOOT WOOT! 1️⃣ day til race day! Join me and m WOOT WOOT! 1️⃣ day til race day! Join me and my friend, Team PossAbilities athlete, and advocate Zimri Solis @zimrisolis11 today (Friday, Oct 2nd) at 12pm PT / 3pm ET for an Instagram LIVE Q&A. We will be sharing why this cause is so important to us as amputees, what we’re doing on race day, and how you can help! We will also be answering any questions and addressing common FAQs. It will be both mine and Zimri’s first LIVE together and we’re excited and ready to have some fun. 😝💪 (Plus can I just give Zimri a shout out for being Dad of the year? Twin boys in 2020 and he’s rocking it!) If you can’t make ours and still want to learn more, head on over to @aeisenmenger3 and @kdonnewald IG who will be hosting a LIVE at 1pm PST! These two ladies are amazing advocates and will surely have both an enlightening and entertaining conversation about disability+exercise. They might also have a fun Friday fact that involves @sourpatchkids...which may or may not be their go to race nutrition! 🤣 Still time to sign up! Link in our bio. Let’s go!!! #ourrighttoexercise #virtualrace #wejustfeltlikerunning #runforreststump #instagramlive #disabilityrights #raceday #running #athlete #iamadaptive #bemoreadaptive #amputee #prosthetic #runningblade #access #runners #run #ossur #lifewithoutlimitations #disability #goals #keeppushing #workhard
FIRST MARATHON!! 26.2 miles here we come!! I am so FIRST MARATHON!! 26.2 miles here we come!! I am so pumped that this day is almost here. This bucket list item has been YEARS in the making!! For most marathon runners, yes there’s a lot of training and preparation involved. But what if I told you that for a person with a disability, the training was the easy part? Seriously, I’m not joking. Training for a marathon is EASIER than getting what you need in our healthcare system to be physically active as an individual with a disability. I went 16 years of my life, faced countless insurance denials, was in physical therapy twice a week with pain, quit my job, started a nonprofit, swam/biked/and ran a 1,500 mile triathlon... and then, and only THEN did I get what I needed to run safely and without pain. What is WRONG with this picture? There’s a reason 1 in 2 adults with disabilities get absolutely no aerobic exercise. There’s a reason obesity rates are 38% higher for children with disabilities, and that they are 4X less physically active than their peers. We make it EXTREMELY hard for someone with a disability to be active in our country, and then we blame it on their “inability to be active" as the problem. Well, I’m calling BS and saying No! Our limitation is not our disability. Our limitation is our healthcare system that discriminates and denies access to the assistive technologies and habilitative services our community needs to be active. It’s time we step up for this community! I’m calling on everyone. If you’ve ever taken your mobility for granted, if you know how important your mobility is for you, your family, your children...then speak up. Sign our petition, join our virtual race on Saturday, donate to Forrest Stump. There are many action steps you can take to help (link in bio)! Let’s show Congress that it’s time for change one mile at a time! #ourrighttoexercise #virtualrace #runforreststump #equalrights #signourpetition #athlete #access #amputee #disabilityrights #iamadaptive #prosthesis #bladerunner #running #firstmarathon #marathon #run #congress #runner #runnersofinstagram #disability #wheelchair #orthosis #sport #exercise #goals #marathontraining
Who just felt like paddling!? ☺️🚣🏽‍♀ Who just felt like paddling!? ☺️🚣🏽‍♀️ Shout out to our small but mighty group of paddlers taking part in our virtual race #WeJustFeltLikeRunning on 10/03!! @northwoods.nancy and @erinhundtofte that includes you! 💚 We are an inclusive campaign, meaning if you can dream it, you can do it! However you want to complete your miles on race day, we encourage it. Sign up using the link in my bio! All forms of movement are encouraged. This is about exercising our right to exercise and championing that for the disability community! The countdown begins... less than 2 days away from our big race! 484 registered... so close to 500! Will you join us? #ourrighttoexercise #forreststump #runforreststump #swim #bike #run #paddle #handcycle #moveyourbody #disabilityrights #advocacy #humanright #speakout #amputee #prosthesis #disability #action #policy #congress #signourpetition #nature #water #kayaking #clouds #northernmichigan #throwback #tbt #torchlake
We now have 437 racers signed up for our #WeJustFe We now have 437 racers signed up for our #WeJustFeltLikeRunning virtual race this Saturday from around the country... and the world!! 🌍 We are so close to our goal of 500 racers. Will you help us get there? From our little desk in Seattle, to now around the world, this community is challenging the status quo and creating a movement for #disabilityrights to show that physical activity is a human right for ALL! We all deserve the opportunity to move our bodies freely to stay healthy. It’s time we make this a reality for the disability community by educating Congress and changing discriminatory policies that perpetuate health disparities. If you’ve already signed up, can you recruit one more person? If you haven’t signed up, will you join us? Any miles count - not just running! You can walk, paddle, handcycle, skate... just move! We also have a number of FREE promo codes thanks to our generous sponsors: ⭐️DISABILITY2020 ⭐️BIPOC2020 ⭐️COVID2020 You can sign up at the link in my bio. Let’s change the world together! #ourrighttoexercise #runforreststump #forreststump #disability #advocacy #amputee #prosthesis #bladerunner #access #policy #virtualrace #moveyourbody #usa #world #running #runnersofinstagram #run #bike #swim #getoutside #art #mural #exerciseyourrighttoexercise #humanrights #disabledbutnotreally #iamadaptive #inclusion #sport
Hey friends! I'm tagging you because I want you to Hey friends! I'm tagging you because I want you to join me this Saturday 10/03 as we virtually race across the USA for #disabilityrights!! I've tagged you because you have a disability just like me, and it's time we speak up for our community. The fact running prostheses, sports wheelchairs, high-activity orthoses, and sighted guides are considered "not medically necessary" and denied for our community is just another form of discrimination we must end. Will you join me in Forrest Stump's #WeJustFeltLikeRunning virtual race and bring your voice to this cause? Once you've signed up, drop me a 💚 in the comments and tag another friend! We are so close to having 500 racers and I’d love your help to reach this goal! You can sign up FOR FREE with the promo code DISABILITY2020. You can run, handcycle, swim - whatever you want - and any number of miles count. Only takes a minute to register here and pledge your miles: https://wejustfeltlikerunning.eventbrite.com (Link in bio!!) Be part of this movement for change. Let's make history! #wejustfeltlikerunning #ourrighttoexercise #runforreststump #disabilityrights #access #equalrights #running #iloverunning #runnersofinstagram #run #bike #swim #handcycle #disability #sport #amputee #disabledbutnotreally #prosthesis #bladerunner #signourpetition #useyourvoice #advocacy #policy #seattle #washingtondc #humanrights #sport #exercise
Who’s ready for race day!!?? 😀💪The countdo Who’s ready for race day!!?? 😀💪The countdown begins! We are now 5 days out from our #WeJustFeltLikeRunning virtual race this Saturday, October 3rd! Hundreds of racers and thousands of people across the country have spoken up to say that physical activity is a right for the disability community and we need to remove the barriers that keep us from accessing it! If you haven’t yet signed our petition or registered to race, there’s still time (➡️link in bio)! If you have signed up, THANK YOU & make sure you check out your Virtual Race Day Packet (➡️link in bio) to download your race bib, join our Strava club, and learn how you can raise awareness on race day! Yesterday’s 10 mile easy run before my marathon this Saturday was thanks to @stephharold and @natharold!! Best pacers and support crew ever 🙏💚... plus a little recovery sesh with Hunter the dog who thought my salty, sweaty leg tasted really good. 🐶😂😛 It kind of felt like a leg massage, lol. I’ll take it! Thank you all for making this day an incredible success. I’m so excited for the 3rd!! #ourrighttoexercise #runforreststump #forreststump #virtualrace #disabilityrights #policy #signourpetition #marathontraining #running #runner #run #amputee #iloverunning #prosthesis #bladerunner #swim #bike #run #getactive #equalrights #sport #marathon #firstmarathon #goals
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