KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Physical therapy helped Marshall Harkrider recover after a devastating accident in Texas.
"A little bit over a year ago I was the passenger in an ATV accident where it slipped onto my leg," he said.
His leg was amputated below the knee. The West High School athlete spent months at Scottish Rite Hospital in Dallas.
"I was able to start doing PT and recreational therapy and all the people who were helping me there were awesome and they really helped me get back into walking and stuff," he said.
He was fitted with a typical prosthesis for walking but Marshall needed to get back to his active life.
"I was on the West High soccer team and I played for a club soccer for the Knoxville Reds," he said.
Then he met Noelle Lambert at a Challenged Athletes Foundation event in New York. A horrible wreck cost Noelle Lambert her leg.
"She made a really good inspirational speech and that was early on in my recovery," Marshall said.
Noelle founded The Born to Run Foundation nonprofit that provides child amputees with a specific prosthesis that allows them to run again.
"Personally, when I received my waterproof prosthetic it was the best day ever because I could go to the beach with my friends and I could go swimming in a pool and I didn't have to worry about having a prosthetic so I was very excited," Noelle said.
The foundation awarded Marshall a grant for a swimming prosthesis. Instead of an in-person presentation, Marshall and Noelle recently connected on video chat.
"With this world pandemic going around that doesn't mean we're going to stop our work," she said.
Marshall is excited about his specialized prosthesis.
"I've had the prostheses probably for about a month now and it's been awesome. I've been wearing it around just getting used to it and it's been so much better than my old ones."
He hopes to play soccer for West High School during his senior year.
Noelle shared some words of welcome with him during their virtual meeting.
"Marshall, this is kind of like joining a family. We will be inviting you to every single event that we have. The first opportunity I get I will definitely be coming to Tennessee to visit you and your family," she said.
Perhaps she can watch him play soccer.