Iron Will

An Amputee's Journey to Athletic Excellence

De: Roderick Sewell

Roderick Sewell was an active kid. Born without tibias in both of his legs Roderick wrestled with his cousins and climbed every surface of his grandmother’s home. When he was two years old his mother, Marian, made the incredibly tough choice to have his legs amputated to save his life. That didn’t stop Roderick, a rambunctious toddler who could hardly sit still while his body healed.

But when his mother's modest income couldn’t cover Roderick’s prosthetics, she made another impossible decision: to leave her demanding job working for the US Navy and go on unemployment. That way California Children’s Services would pay for Roderick’s prosthetics that would enable him to walk. Roderick and his mother were left homeless and moved from California to Alabama. All the while she instilled in him the lessons of gratitude, love, and patience that aided him as he built confidence in his disability and pursued his passion: sports.

Roderick was still homeless in Alabama when he met coaches from the Challenged Athletes Foundation, which helps athletes with disabilities. They gave him his running legs, and his life quickly changed for the better. He learned how to swim, how to challenge his body, and how to be a fierce competitor and athlete—all with him mom cheering from the sidelines.

Iron Will is the story of an athlete with an indomitable spirit and proof that an athlete’s mindset is about more than physical and mental endurance. It’s about enduring love, support, and the willingness to try.

©2025 Roderick Sewell (P)2025 Legacy Lit