When Kevan Hueftle lost his
foot in a 2005 hunting accident, he went through a lot of challenges, including
depression, alcoholism and weight gain. But eventually, those challenges were
what he needed to get to where he’s at today.
“It’s the best thing that
ever happened to me,” he said.
Hueftle grew up in Eustis and
attended Eustis-Farnam High School, where he ran track. He later attended the
University of Nebraska at Kearney for one year and dropped out. One day in 2005
while hunting, he accidentally shot his foot. He spent 13 days in the hospital
and underwent five surgeries. Doctors wanted to amputate his foot the night of
the accident, but he wasn’t ready. Eventually, after doing his own research, he
made the decision to amputate and get a prosthetic for his left leg below the
knee in 2006.
“I was dealing with a lot of
pain, so for seven to 10 years I was basically a functioning alcoholic,” he
said.
It wasn’t always easy finding
a prosthetic foot that fit and was comfortable. But nevertheless, during that
time he managed to earn a degree in Diversified Agriculture from SCC’s Beatrice
Campus. Growing up on a ranch in Eustis, he wanted to make sure this was the
right career path to take.
“I thought it was important
to get away from the ranch and make sure I wanted to do that for a living,” he
recalled on deciding to attend SCC.
He enjoyed his time at the
campus with the hands-on classes. And since he was an older non-traditional
student, he enjoyed being the one that others came to for advice and guidance.
He recalls having close relationships with the instructors and still keeps in
touch with many of his fellow classmates.
“I was older than the other
students, and since I was already doing a lot of those things we were learning
about (on his family farm), a lot of it was kind of a leadership role for me,”
he said.
Fast forward to 2015, where
he attended a wedding and didn’t have any alcohol during the reception. That
was the moment he decided to become sober, and he hasn’t looked back since.
“I decided I’m done,” he
recalled. “It hasn’t been easy for sure.”
Next up would be his journey
back to fitness and running. As a high school track athlete, he missed the competitive
nature of the sport and decided that he could incorporate it back into his life
as a para athlete.
“I looked at the running
times in the Paralympics and I thought I could do that,” he said. “I don’t have
any talent, but I’ll outwork anyone on any team.”
He started to train, and in 2017
he joined Team USA. In 2019 he made the 2019 Parapan American Games in Lima,
Peru, and won gold in the men’s 100-meter race and the silver in the 200-meter
race. Only a few months later he traveled to the World Para Athletics
Championships in Dubai and won the silver in the 100 and placed fourth in the
200.
Hueftle has four prosthetic
legs, one for everyday life and three for running. He finally found a
prosthetist in Seattle, Washington, who changed the trajectory of his life.
When others fit poorly, Greg Davidson’s prosthetic legs made all the
difference.
“He changed my life; he makes
the best prosthetic legs in the world,” said Hueftle, who learned about the
legs from the Never Say Never Foundation. “It’s the most fun to have a
prosthetic leg, I’m not even kidding!”
Hueftle was hit with a couple
more hurdles after this, including the cancellation of some of the Paralympic
competitions because of COVID and blowing out his ankle, which required another
surgery. His goal now is to start training for the 2024 Paralympics, which will
be held in Paris, France. However, this time the 37-year-old plans to take things
slower and listen to his body more.
While he continues to work on
his family ranch with cattle and crops, he hopes he can inspire others by
telling his story, which he doesn’t regret a single moment, pain and all.
“I’m so glad I went through
this in my life, and now I want to be a motivational speaker. I want to change
a few lives and help people through life,” he said.
Kevan and his wife Nicole have two children,
ages 9 and 6. He is now seven years sober