Amy Palmiero-Winters

Amy Palmiero-Winters is a below-knee amputee, long-distance runner, and triathlete recognized for her achievements in endurance sports and adaptive athletics. Following a motorcycle accident that resulted in the amputation of her left leg below the knee, Palmiero-Winters returned to competition and established herself as a leading ultra-endurance athlete.

After obtaining a customized athletic prosthetic, Palmiero-Winters set a new world record for a below-knee female amputee at the New York City Marathon with a time of 3:24, surpassing the previous record by more than 25 minutes. She later completed the Chicago Marathon in 3:04, marking the fastest marathon time for a below-knee amputee, male or female. Palmiero-Winters won her classification at the International Triathlon Union Paratriathlon World Championships in consecutive years and became the first athlete with a physical disability to compete in the elite able-bodied division of the NYC Triathlon. Transitioning to ultramarathons, she completed 10 ultramarathons in a two-year span and finished first overall at the Run to the Future 24-hour race by running 130.4 miles, becoming the first amputee to win an ultramarathon.

Palmiero-Winters was selected for the U.S. ultrarunning team for the IAU 24-Hour Ultramarathon World Championships in Brive, France, marking the first time an amputee was named to a United States able-bodied championship team. She became the first amputee to finish the Western States Endurance Run, a 100-mile race, earning the bronze buckle awarded to runners who finish in under 30 hours. She was also the first female amputee to finish the Badwater Ultramarathon and the Marathon Des Sables, and the first amputee, male or female, to complete the Ultraman triathlon, a three-day, 320-mile race. Guinness World Records recognized Palmiero-Winters as the first female amputee to complete 100 miles on a treadmill, which she accomplished in 21 hours, 43 minutes, and 29 seconds.

Palmiero-Winters has received several honors, including the James E. Sullivan Award as the top amateur athlete in the United States and the ESPN ESPY Award as the top female athlete with a disability. She has also been recognized with the Women's Sports Foundation Wilma Rudolph Courage Award, the Challenged Athletes Foundation Trail Blazer Award, the Huffington Post Game Changer Award, and the USA Strength Award. She holds 13 world records in running and endurance events.

In addition to her athletic career, Palmiero-Winters is active in advocacy and community engagement, particularly in adaptive sports and disability inclusion. She founded the One Step Ahead Foundation to provide opportunities for children with physical disabilities to participate in sports and athletics. Palmiero-Winters' experiences contribute to ongoing conversations about resilience, perseverance, and adaptive athletics.