VA Pittsburgh Teams up with Veteran Headed to Paris Paralympics

An eight-time Iron Man runner and 2020 Tokyo Paralympics triathlete, Eric McElvenny has been a patient at VAPHS since October 2023. In that time, VAPHS orthotist/prosthetist Andrew Chambers has spent one day a week with McElvenny, tweaking his prosthesis and testing adjustments to harness maximum power and efficiency. 

McElvenny, Chambers and physical therapist John Schneider recently spent a day at the Fox Chapel Area High School athletic track, testing out the metrics of different prosthetics attachments while McElvenny ran at a set speed. 

Sensors attached to each of McElvenny’s feet measured power, stride length and vertical oscillation. The team used the measurements to make tiny adjustments to the prosthetics to assess which yielded the best results. 

“We’re looking for a percent… for little, small things,” said Chambers, who will fly to Paris to cheer McElvenny on. 

McElvenny graduated from Belle Vernon Area High School before attending the United States Naval Academy. He has always been athletic, energetic and resilient — traits that are evident from the moment he starts speaking. 

An inspirational speaker, McElvenny has traveled all over the country to speak at companies, schools, colleges, conferences and sports teams — most recently to Texas. 

“I teach principles of resilience,” he said, noting he strives to both teach and entertain during his presentations. 

He often begins speeches with the turning point in his life — his third deployment, when he was in Afghanistan. 

On a routine patrol, McElvenny stepped on an improvised explosive device, resulting in the loss of his leg. He was transported to the Naval Medical Center in San Diego for treatment. 

While in bed, he made a promise to himself: he was going to run in an Ironman Triathlon.

“I wanted to do something big to prove to myself that I was the same person,” he said. 

McElvenny ran his first Ironman race in Kona, Hawaii, and has since competed in seven others. 

He said he also wants to one day compete in a Norseman race in Norway, a notoriously difficult track comprised of over 5,000 inclining meters. 

For now, his focus is on Paris. Although it is his second Paralympics, it will be the first for his family because the COVID-19 outbreak limited spectators in Tokyo. He finished sixth in Tokyo but set a goal to return this year.

The Para triathlon is run in six categories, with each based on the athletes’ physical characteristics. In McElvenny’s category, amputee below the knee, there are 12 spots, meaning he will compete against 11 other athletes. 

One of his favorite parts of competing in the Paralympics is the connections formed with other athletes. 

“It’s cool to build relationships with people all over the world,” he said. 

While McElvenny has visited every continent on Earth except South America — either while serving the military, speaking to an audience, or competing in a race – he calls Pittsburgh home. 

“The Pittsburgh VA, and Andy, have been so supportive,” he said. 

After spending nearly a year with McElvenny, scrutinizing everything from the type of prosthetic leg to even the smallest technical tweaks, Chambers said he wants nothing more than to see him on the podium in Paris. 

“Our goal is to provide every Veteran with the tools they need to reach their goals,” said Chambers. “If that goal is to medal in the Paralympics, we are with them, 100 percent.”

Editor’s note: for information on VA resources for amputee Veterans, visit Rehabilitation and Prosthetic Services or VA Adaptive Sports and Arts