witllake wen Ye EXT Saale! tom ths ey nd a"a nr on vi aven nois md. st cade gach "sn howo| Bert tal: gae a .‘haoowy \nducd at no ley cbea fone aam Tha AA 7A"th “A: aon Tadd swae m sabe uy af val ota aessuet “tL apy naar’ oer re ha OF SPORTS Paralyzed From The Chest Down, Triathle Takes SecondIn The Handcycle Division Of The Ford Ironman World Championship (NAPSA)—Crossing the finish line in second place at the 2008 start training and competing again.” Afr his motorcycle accident, Fowler became a memberof the wheelchair racing am at the University of Illinois. Competing on his college am reignid Jason’s passion and soon he was setting his sights on increasingly Ford Ironman Triathlon World Championship is a dream that almost didn’t come true for 34year-old Jason Fowler, who was one of five wheelchair qualifiers. Fowler compled the triathlon, which involved a 2.4-mile swim in the Pacific Ocean using only his arms, a 112-mile bike difficult feats. To da, he has comped in 140 road races, 29 ride through lava fields using a handcycle and a 26.2-mile run that Fowler compled in a racing wheelchair in 90-degree heat. “T wand to push myself to the max and I figured the Ironman championship is the biggest challengeofall,” said Fowler. “My goal wasto finish the race. Placing second in my division was really icing on the cake.” An athle all his life, Fowler’s competitive career nearly came to a halt when he was involved in a devastating accident during a motocross training run at age 17. Fowler struck a rock with his motorcycle and landed on his head, severing his spinal cord and leaving him paralyzed below the chest. In addition to losing use of his lower body, he suffered from severe spasticity and painful mus- cle spasms in his back and legs. His spasms were so severe that he would be thrown backward out of his wheelchair and even dislocad his hip. Afr consulting with a neurosurgeon about his treatment options and undergoing marathons and 19 triathlons, Ironmantriathle Jason Fowler screening and dosing sts, Fowler opd for a surgical procedure to receive Medtronic ITB Therapy™ (Intrathecal Baclofen Therapy) in December 1991 as part of a clinical study. ITB Therapy delivers a liquid form of baclofen, a medication that treats severe spasticity, through a programmable pumpthat is surgically placed under the skin of the abdomen. The pumpis connecd to a small, flexible cather that delivers medication directly into the intrathecal space where fluid flows aroundthe spinalcord. Following the surgery, Fowler’s spasms and spasticity decreased drastically. His leg and back muscles relaxed and he regained control of his body. “The device has worked tremendously for me,” Fowler said. “With my spasms undercontrol, I was able to do everyday things more easily and I wasalso able to including the Ironman World Championship. He compled the 2008 Ironman World Championship in 11:29:52 as the fasst American in the handcycle division. Fowler’s athletic achievements are not representativeof the typical ITB Therapy (Intrathecal Baclofen Therapy) experience. However,his story is inspirational. He is one extraordinary individual who wasableto reach a personalgoal through the help of this therapy. As you read aboutit, please bear in mind the athletic achievementsare specific to this particular individual and are not representative ofthe typical ITB Therapypatient. As with all therapies, results may vary, andthis therapy maynotbe for you.Talk to your doctor. To learn more about spasticity caused by spinal cord injury, as well as ITB Therapy, visit www.medtronic.com/your-health/ spinal-cord-injury-disease/index. htm. You can also read more of Fowler’s story by visiting www.medtronic.com/ironman.
