By Kim Ousley
Katie Bondy, a member of the U.S. Women’s National Amputee Soccer Team, doesn’t stay down for long. Born with spina bifida and living with scoliosis since childhood, she learned early how to adapt in a world not built for people with disabilities. That resilience only grew stronger after a severe infection in her left ankle led to a below knee amputation.
Growing up, Bondy was encouraged to play soccer. As a goalie, she developed a keen eye for tracking the ball at all times. In college, she played lacrosse while wearing AFOs on both legs. Throughout it all, she constantly had to prove herself.
“I had to be the smartest person on the field,” Bondy said. “I had to have the best hand-eye coordination and track the ball.” Playing with two AFOs, she said, felt like playing with casts on her legs.
She also enjoys rock climbing, hiking, biking, kayaking, and just about anything that keeps her active.
In 2022, Bondy noticed her ankle had become red and swollen, but because of her spina bifida, she couldn’t feel any pain. After searching online for answers, she eventually went to the emergency room, where doctors discovered she had a severe MRSA infection and dangerously elevated white blood cell counts.
“The doctor told me I could’ve died if I had gone back home,” Bondy said. “I didn’t realize how sick I was.”
The infection led to her amputation in May 2022. During physical therapy, her therapist suggested she try amputee soccer. The idea of taking off her prosthetic leg and playing soccer on crutches with one leg seemed unbelievable.
Her first reaction?
“Only disabled people play on crutches.”
She quickly discovered how wrong that assumption was after attending her first soccer camp in March 2023.
She watched athletes flipping forward and backward on crutches, sprinting, running sideways, performing bicycle kicks, and demonstrating incredible agility and dexterity across the field.
“That’s when it hit me. Oh! I can be an athlete on crutches.”
That realization changed everything, and she began training with the women’s national team.
Her first international tournament in Poland fueled her passion even more and eventually led to the 2024 Women’s Amputee Soccer World Cup in Barranquilla, Colombia, where Team USA earned the silver medal.
Bondy says the team wasn’t just representing women’s amputee soccer. They were representing women everywhere. She hopes her story reminds others that with determination and hard work, they can pursue goals they once thought were out of reach.
After years of wearing AFOs, followed by her amputation and prosthetic limb, Bondy says she now has more freedom than she ever imagined.
She credits her family and support system for helping her through countless surgeries, setbacks, and transitions. Her deep faith has kept her grounded, and her service dog, Oliver, has remained by her side through every challenge.
Over the past year, Bondy has faced even more obstacles. She underwent an above knee amputation and additional surgeries after her femur and tibia began causing painful complications. At the same time, she also had targeted muscle reinnervation (TMR) surgery to help reduce future phantom limb pain.
By July 2025, she was back at training camp without a prosthetic leg after spending much of the school year using a wheelchair. Today, she has adapted to a new microprocessor knee and prosthetic leg.
Looking ahead, Bondy has her sights set on the 2027 Women’s Amputee Soccer World Cup. She hopes Poland is selected as the host nation.
“Poland is very disability friendly, and they really love and support their people,” she said. “In the U.S., it’s not quite the same.”
The three countries being considered are Poland, Kenya, and Brazil. No matter where the tournament is held, Bondy continues to represent her sport, her teammates, and women in athletics with determination and pride.
