SAN DIEGO, CA (Dakota News Now) – Lester Lundon lost his leg in a farm accident shortly after returning from the Army, but the obstacles he had to overcome in life didn’t stop him from trying something new.
Lundon was an engineer in the Army from 1954 to 1956 and served in Germany. An accident on a farm in 1957 changed his life forever.
“Of course, as soon as I got home from the job, I helped Dad make silage and got stuck in the machinery,” said Lundon.
Since that day, he has been dependent on a prosthetic leg for 67 years.
“I’ve worn out about 22 legs. The original ones were all wooden, but now they’re titanium and they’re strong. They have hydraulics, they have computers, they have sensors, so walking is just great,” Lundon said.
The Sioux Falls native decided to participate in this year’s VA National Veterans Summer Sports Clinic in San Diego after seeing how much fun others were having at the event.
The Summer Sports Clinic is held annually and provides adaptive sports and recreational activities to veterans who have recently been injured. These sports include adaptive cycling, surfing, sailing, kayaking, fitness, yoga and meditation.
Surfing was not something Lundon would ever do.
“I never thought I would ever surf. For me, surfing is when I see it on TV,” Lundon said.
With a little help from some of the 300 Summer Sports Clinic volunteers, Lundon managed to catch a wave.
After catching one wave, he couldn’t wait to catch the next one.
“It was like I just took off. Man, oh man, it was really great. When I hit the wave, I couldn’t believe how it felt. It was just amazing,” Lundon said.
Another 130 veterans from across the country are participating in the National Veterans Summer Sports Clinic, which takes place August 25-30. They all have different injuries, from brain trauma to the loss of a body part.
Lundon said he would recommend the camp to any veteran struggling with an injury or disability.
“Just let yourself go. Give it a try. The VA has done wonders for me and it will do wonders for you. They are just amazing,” Lundon said.
Despite his age and injury setbacks, Lundon said conquering the ocean waves made him forget for a moment all the obstacles that stood in his way in life.
“I’m 89, but I don’t feel 89 today,” Lundon said.
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