Because of his aggressive playing style—often sliding headfirst into bases while wearing only shorts—Eric injured his knees. The constant scraping of skin on hard gravel caused deep abrasions and internal injuries. Years and years of wear and tear led to surgeries and more surgeries. At a certain point, Eric had to decide whether to endure the terrible pain and immobility caused by the mounting surgeries or have his right leg amputated. He opted for the latter, and in 2009, Eric had his right leg removed. A few years later, in 2018, he had to have his left leg amputated, resulting in him becoming a bi-lateral, above-knee amputee. Both 2009 and 2018 were the worst and yet best years of his life.
Eric found purpose and meaning. This started with his discovery and involvement in the sport of rowing, specifically adaptive rowing. He found, even though he was a bilateral amputee, that he could row using a machine called an ERG. Eventually, this led him into competition. He competed three times in the World Indoor Rowing Adaptive Championships in Boston, Massachusetts and won a silver medal at his first Championship. He recently finished first in the category of 60-year and older lower leg amputee males. In 2012, he was invited to try out for the United States Paralympic Rowing Team. Though he did not win a spot on the team, he is forever grateful for the opportunity and experience he gained through the leadership, inspiration, and motivation of his fellow athletes.
Links
Eric Gabriel Website: https://gabrieleric42.wixsite.com/website
Eric’s GoFundMe for his house: https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-erics-disability-adaptive-home
GCU Graduation: https://youtu.be/QeZU8J3u2O0
GCU Feature: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NXRaKUdYJrI
Duke University Spotlight: https://www.contrastcreative.com/portfolio/all-staff-event/?prev_page=9
ABC11 TV Feature: https://abc11.com/double-amputee-rowing-eric-gabriel-gofundme/6380274/
CW22 Web Feature: https://raleighcw.com/news/22-now/eric-gabriels-amputee-journey
Eric Gabriel on Amplitude Magazine: https://livingwithamplitude.com/tag/eric-gabriel/
Want to be considered as a guest? Fill out the form here: https://werenotstumped.com/contact-amputee-podcast/
Want to learn more about our host Mike Bolland? See his website https://mikebolland.com/
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In this deeply moving episode of We’re Not Stumped, host Mike Bolland welcomes Scott Martin, a bilateral hand amputee, soccer coach, and author of the upcoming memoir Play From Your Heart. Scott opens up about the life-altering infection in 1993 that led to the loss of both hands and parts of his feet, and the emotional aftermath that followed. He speaks honestly about denial, detachment, and the five-year struggle with depression that tested his identity, confidence, and purpose.
What happens when lived experience meets entrepreneurship? In this episode of We’re Not Stumped, Mike Bolland sits down with Owen Kent, an entrepreneur living with muscular dystrophy who is reshaping the future of assistive technology. After facing limited access to effective rehabilitation tools, Owen co-founded a company to develop a simple, home-based exoskeleton designed to make recovery more accessible. From customer discovery and design thinking to universal design principles, Owen shares how building technology for underserved communities requires more than innovation — it requires empathy.
In this powerful episode of We’re Not Stumped, Mike sits down with Lindsay Hicks to share her courageous decision to choose amputation at age 22 — and the emotional and physical challenges that followed. Lindsay opens up about navigating identity after limb loss, the support of her parents, and the mindset that helped her move forward. She shares how setting a goal to walk unassisted by Christmas gave her focus during recovery and how resilience continues to shape her life today. The conversation also explores her prosthetic journey, serious medical complications including liver failure and infection, and the determination that helped her regain mobility after two years on crutches.
