Capping an 'X-elent' year

Pillager's "Monster" Mike Schultz recently completed a successful weekend at the 2010 Winter X Games with a first-place finish in the Super X Adaptive Snowmobile category.

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This was the inaugural season for the event, and the second year that the X Games have had an Adaptive category.

For Schultz it was the culmination of an amazing 12-month period that started with the lowest of times and ended with a championship performance.

On Dec. 13, 2008, Schultz was seriously injured while competing in an ISOC National Snocross event at Ironwood, Mich. Schultz's left leg had to be amputated above the knee and because of this he was dealing with a new way of life at the time of last year's X Games. The injury helped put things into perspective as he prepared for the 2010 Games.

Mike Schultz of Pillager displayed the gold medal he won Jan. 31 in the Super X Adaptive Snowmobile category in Winter X Games XIV in Aspen, Colo.

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"A year ago around the X Games was when I got my first prosthetic leg and a year later I'm lining up to go racing again," Schultz said. "It was an incredible feeling. We've been through a lot the last year, and to be out there racing again kind of blows my mind when I stop and think about it.

"We pulled into Aspen and worked on getting the sled all tuned in for the elevation, which is kind of tricky sometimes. Our first practice was Saturday morning and we were super excited to get out on the track and do some laps.

"We got set up for the first practice. Some of the adaptive riders hadn't been on a track before and they were super excited. The track was a bit different this year in regard to obstacle size and overall layout. It was a little bit more like a regular Snocross track"

Schultz found himself competing against six other riders in the adaptive category. His biggest thrill was the chance to compete against Doug Henry.

"There were six competitors and three of us were above the knee amputees and one competitor was a below the knee amputee. He was missing his foot," Schultz said.

"Doug Henry, who was paralyzed at the waist, it was so neat to see him out there because he was a national champion moto-cross guy. He was one of my idols when I was first starting moto-cross racing and to be racing against him was incredible.

"He was so excited to get out on the track again, it was nice to see. Everyone was so interested in watching the event. Doug Henry is a big deal and he's a superstar."

Just one month after his injury last year, Schultz was back on a sled and working with a prosthetic leg. He had some issues with it, and decided to design his own leg that would stand up to the demands of extreme sports and other activities.

"The first leg that I got last year was for everyday walking and it was kind of like a free-swinging door hinge," Schultz said. "I actually used that leg to try and do some riding. I basically just bungied it to the snowmobile so it didn't flop around. Once I got on the sled a little bit and knew it wasn't going to work at all I started researching possibilities for other equipment.

"There were some products that would get the job done but wouldn't hold up to what I needed to put it through. I started building my own, and it was pretty beefy. As I started working out on the snowmobile I started bending a lot of things because of the stress."

Schultz has been working Prosthetic Laboratories of Brainerd, the main sponsor for his snowmobile team. He's most thankful for the support from his wife, Sara. Others also have been a key part of his team.

"This year I have a bunch of new sponsors," Schultz said. "The only thing that's the same is Ski-Doo. My main sponsor is Prosthetic Laboratories. They have been such a key piece of the whole thing, helping me out with the equipment and getting me back on my feet as quick as possible. And that would be Chip Taylor and Ron Staples, who work at Prosthetic Laboratories.

"I also want to say thanks to Amsoil and youknowwhoiam.com and Brothers Motor Sports, Ski-Doo, and Lucky's 13 Pub.

Schlutz is looking forward to using the knowledge he has gained from designing his own prosthetic leg, and turning it into a business opportunity to help others who are looking to help amputees maintain their quality of life.

"I'm definitely looking at the future and having this out on the market," he said. "I know there are a lot of guys that want to get back into stuff like this. I'm developing this not only for snowmobiles and dirt bikes, but for skiing. I actually wakeboarded on it this summer. I went to Powder Ridge and did some snowboarding. It definitely has multiple uses and I would love to start a small business and allow guys to do what I'm doing."

As he moves on to bigger and brighter things, Schultz has a few thoughts for others who may be in the position he was after suffering a devastating injury that could have been career- and life-threatening. His message: "Always have a goal in front of you."

"If I was sitting down with someone who this had happened to I would say that it's definitely tough the first couple of months and you think about what am I going to do now," he said.

"But a few months down the road, when you get your walking leg and you are back into your routine, it's not so bad," he added. "The key thing is to have something to focus on and have goals for yourself. Have a goal and focus on getting there and you will be thinking about moving forward instead of sitting there and wondering what you can't do."