Niki Rellon, a below-the-knee amputee, recovery from a climbing accident (a 40-foot fall) became the first female amputee to complete the 2,168-mile Appalachian Trail.
Niki, with the trail name of “Bionic Woman,” is a life-long athlete—a skier, climber, competitive boxer, and notably, a German Women’s Welterweight Kick Boxing Champion. She’s solo-ridden a bike from Alaska to Mexico City and backpacked the entire Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada by herself. She’s made a living as a certified Paramedic, ski instructor and ski patrol in Colorado, among other things.
But in a tragic instant, life as she knew it changed forever.
In a single moment, an incident during a rappeling expedition led to a 40-foot fall, breaking her pelvis, cracking her helmet in two and demolished her left foot so badly amputation was required. After her accident, she spent months in doctor and PT offices, learning to walk again with a prosthetic leg and working to gain muscle strength.