Korey Puderbaugh

The Backstory:
Korey Puderbaugh was born a quad amputee, with use of his upper arms but no legs or hands. He was adopted from an orphanage when he was young, and grew up in Boise, Idaho.  Wrestling was the first sport he played in high school but got hooked on rugby when a friend introduced him. It took some practice for him to start enjoying it, but he was up for the challenge. After playing two years high school, he moved to California and played for the San Diego Sharp wheelchair rugby team. Puderbaugh went on to play for the Phoenix 360 heat and earned himself a spot on the U.S. wheelchair rugby team. As the youngest member of the team, he proved himself when in 2016 they took home a silver medal at the Rio Paralympic Games.

Away from the field:
Puderbaugh works in business, currently working in accounting, and enjoys keeping tabs on stocks. He also enjoys getting outside and is a fan of aviation.

In their own words:
“I said I don’t want to play this, this is a sport for guys in wheelchairs, and he knocked me right on my butt my first time, and I tried to knock him over, and I couldn’t get him over, and I thought ‘man I gotta figure out how to do this.'”  

“In this sport, you’ll see fast guys you’ll see guys that are a little slower, but its a team sport, and everyone plays a crucial role.” 

Learn More: 
Team USA Page
IPC Page
Idaho Statesman: “Meet An Idaho Hero On Thursday- Paralympian Silver Medalist Kory Puderbaugh”