The Amputee Fun Fest, held by the Amputee Center on Saturday, had local musicians and two amputee athlete speakers from Philadelphia and Cincinnati. There were 25 vendors ranging from prosthetics and mental health to crafts. Executive Director Cat Bigley estimated around 300 people had already attended the event at the halfway point. (Photo by Clara Noelle)

PARKERSBURG — Guest on National Geographic’s reality television/documentary show ‘Mygrations,’ and double amputee in both legs, Reggie Showers, made an appearance at the Amputee Center’s Amputee Fun Fest on Saturday. Showers lost his legs due to an electrical accident during his childhood.

According to Showers, the prosthetic technology when he first became an amputee (1978) was archaic. Showers said that the prosthetics were extremely heavy and were not dynamic.

“When I first became an amputee, there was very little community,” Showers said. “It negatively affected my rehabilitation.”

After Showers became an amputee, he fell into a depression due to that lack of community. Showers said he was the only amputee in his neighborhood and church.

“I’m glad I went through that struggle so that I could be an advocate,” said Showers. “I am here to support the community.”

One of the speakers, Reggie Showers from Philadelphia, is a motivational speaker and advocate for amputees. Showers wants to share his experience with the community in an effort to help fellow amputees in their rehabilitative journey. (Photo by Clara Noelle)

In the 1980s, Showers said he started drag racing motorcycles and soon became a professional. He said he kept his prosthetics a secret.

“People looked at amputees like liabilities,” said Showers.

He said after he proved himself by breaking multiple world records, he said he broke 14 in his career, he revealed that he was an amputee. Showers recounted that his colleagues were shocked.

Showers later went to get his pilot’s license, and he said it was much of the same story. Showers only revealed that he was an amputee once he had proved that he could perform just the same as others.

Showers said he continued to follow his athletic ambitions by learning how to snowboard and getting certified to teach snowboarding. He has since used this opportunity to teach amputees how to snowboard safely.

The first year of the Amputee Fun Fest was held at the Amputee Center on Saturday and Executive Director Cat Bigley said that she hopes to make the Amputee Fun Fest an even bigger annual event. Bigley said the Amputee Center was inspired by similar events held in larger cities, and that they wanted to bring it to the Mid-Ohio Valley. (Photo by Clara Noelle)

Showers spent his time on the reality show ‘Mygration’ by trekking across the African Serengeti in the same migrational pattern that African Wildebeests use.

Showers said his current passion is motivational speaking and teaching youth in motor sports and that he is specifically passionate about giving back to the community and being an advocate for amputees. Showers said his mission statement was to support those who support the community. When Showers spoke at the Amputee Fun Fest, he expressed his pride in seeing so many amputees proudly showing their prosthetics.

“It’s not all about the conversations, but also about being seen,” said Showers. “The more you show (prosthetics), the more it becomes normal.”

Showers also expressed his gratitude for the community in putting on the event.

“It takes a village to put on an event like this,” said Showers.

While Showers has had an ambitious life, he still stays humble.

When he spoke at the event, he said “I am no different than anybody here. We are no different.”

The Amputee Center had local musicians during the event as well as their two amputee speakers, including Showers. They had three food and drink vendors: Kona Ice, Jimmy Avocados Food Truck and Southern Smokehouse BBQ. Executive Director Cat Bigley estimated around 300 people had attended about halfway through the event. Though this year is the first time the Amputee Fun Fest has happened, Bigley says that the Amputee Center hopes to make it a big annual event and eventually bring in amputees from all over the country. The Amputee Center was inspired by bigger cities who had put on similar events.

Clara Noelle can be reached at intern@newsandsentinel.com.