What’s Your Mountain?

Reaching the summit of Cotopaxi was a huge accomplishment for the ROMP team (including Cornerstone patient Nicole Ver Kuilen and prosthetist Natalie Harold). The reason behind the climb is even more important. 80% of amputees live in the developing world, and only 2% have access to prosthetic care. The Range of Motion Project aims to provide prosthetic care to amputees worldwide. Even amputees within our borders are being denied access to appropriate prosthetic care. For this reason, Nicole and Natalie have teamed up to create Forrest Stump. This non-profit advocacy organization raises awareness, changes policies, and expands access to care for all amputees.

This is the story of ROMP’s 4-year journey to the summit of Volcán Cotopaxi, Ecuador’s 2nd highest peak at 19,347 ft.

Each year, as part of the Range of Motion Project’s event Climbing for ROMP, a diverse team of amputee and non-amputee athletes set out to attempt a volcano in Ecuador to show the world the power of mobility. Our original intention was to climb Cotopaxi in 2015, but the volcano erupted and was closed until late 2017. In September 2018, we finally got our chance to summit. Over 500 others worldwide climbed in solidarity, raising over $100,000 to help 100 ROMP patients access high-quality prosthetic care.

We climb for change. We climb for mobility. We climb for ROMP.

Videography and production by Silverline Films