GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Nate Denofre has just returned from a trip of a lifetime.
"We started in Minnesota at beginning of May in the snowstorm and finished right after two hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico 109 days later," says Nate, who canoed the length of the Mississippi River with his wife, Christa, and their dog.
Stretches of the voyage were smooth sailing but those lengths were outnumbered by the challenges. The storms he mentioned — the scorching sun that clearly left its mark by the end in the south — to the isolating start up north.
"It's remote, and being from the Upper Peninsula, I'm used to the nature in the woods,” says Nate, “but this was a little bit of a test for me."
It’s a test for anyone — an epic quest for a man who has no legs — when at times he'd have to get out and push.
"I have to get out, get my prosthetics on, get them adjusted. But if there's lots of mud, I can't wear prosthetics because a lot of times I go to take a step, my prosthetic could be in mud like a foot behind me,” Nate explains. “So I just have to adjust my surface weight and crawl.”
Nate lost his legs at birth — a double amputee from just above the knee. He has lived his life like this.
Suddenly, staring down the length of the Mississippi becomes less daunting.
"Amputations absolutely hold you back and it takes us sometimes, you know, 25 minutes, a half an hour, to do a five-minute job,” Nate says. “I mean, not having a body part’s one thing, but for your mind to catch up with it to adapt as another … so, it's always a struggle in my opinion."
It’s a struggle that’s consistent throughout a life of challenges for this Yooper, who has been in Grand Rapids since he was 9 and a half months old.
"Made my trip down here for the first time to Mary Free Bed and got my first pair of prosthetics and been here ever since."
Nate has walked his way through countless prosthetics over the years. Considering his adventures, you can see why.
"Every foot he's ever had has been destroyed,” says Devin, “so that's kind of been the number one goal of ‘Okay, what can I provide him that will hopefully last them a little bit longer than what he's had in the past?’”
This time the team at Mary Free Bed hopes it's different — and we have a behind-the-scenes look at the fabrication process of Nate's new and improved prosthetics — which can all happen down the hall in the same building.
"That's pretty rare to have therapy and the whole hospital here is rare," says Devin.
From the initial fittings to the casting and the grinding, to the design — selected by Nate himself.
"Our technicians will transfer the alignment, laminate everything, and then finish everything up smooth — make sure all everything's smooth — give it back to us, and we're going to deliver."
It starts with a painting and ends with the moment of truth.
"Hopefully, everything fits well and they're walking out happy," says Devin.
They call it Delivery Day, when Nate can hop off the chair ready to tackle the next adventure. Though his adventure buddy might have other ideas.
"We can start with helping go downstairs and do the laundry," says his wife, Christa. She has seen Nate’s determination firsthand, and while the prosthetics help, his mindset sets the tone.
"He's one of those people who can come up with a plan and figure out how to attain it, and then do it,” says Christa, “and that's something that you don't see very often."
Meanwhile, a lot of us who have all of their limbs and haven't lived half the struggle have only lived half the life.
But where does Nate’s drive come from?
"I don't know. I think that comes from inside,” says Nate. “Maybe it's learned. Maybe it could be ‘lead by example.’ I don't know. But for me, it definitely comes from inside."
A little extra bounce in his step from Mary Free Bed certainly helps.
Nate and Christa plan to canoe the Missouri River next. Christa plans to put their travels in a boot titled Love Many, Trust Few, but Always Paddle Your Own Canoe.