Gary Summers is a 52-year-old left leg above-knee amputee. A life time resident raised in the farming community of Mount Sterling ,Ohio, Gary farmed with his father for 31 years and has worked for John Deere Company the last 21-years . Gary and his wife Trudy have a daughter Lori, a son-in-law Rich and son Troy as well as two step-granddaughters and a grandson.

On April 26, 2003, Gary was riding his motorcycle on a back country highway when another motorcycle came at him on a curve, on the wrong side of the road, striking him head-on. After two weeks trying to save his leg it had to be amputated. Four days after getting home from the hospital, Raymond Francis, Chief of Prosthetic Services, Ohio Willow Wood met with him and began the process of fitting him with a new leg. After three months of convalescence and working to regain his health and ability to walk again, Gary went back to work at John Deere. As you can tell Gary has not slowed down much from this amputation. He gives God the Praise and Glory for putting him in a community that gave him and Trudy the support and determination to go on in life and stay active. Gary has since bought another motorcycle with sidecar and plans to continue to tour the highways and byways.

Gary’s love for God, Family and Church has given him a greater out-look on life and knows he needs to share how a trauma of this kind can be overcome.

His aim for riding in the Amputees Across America Bicycle trip is to  help others to regain the determination it takes to live a fulfilling life and not stay on the sidelines waiting. Besides a little Bicycling will do the body some good he says !