Össur, Reykjavik, Iceland, announced that ten-year-old Joel “Diego” Mercado is the winner of its second #MyWinningMoment online contest that celebrates the mobility of people who have lower-limb loss. In his video, Mercado is shown working out with U.S. Marine Sergeant Jose Luis Sanchez.
Mercado was born with a congenital condition that resulted in the absence of his left leg and most of the fingers on his left hand. His entry was selected by an external jury of prosthetics community members from among ten finalists. As the winning entrant, Mercado and his father will receive a four-day, three-night, all-expense-paid trip to California to attend Össur’s Running and Mobility Clinic presented by the Challenged Athletes Foundation (CAF) on October 22, and the 2016 Aspen Medical San Diego Triathlon Challenge hosted by CAF on October 23.
“We appreciate every single person’s contributions to our online contest, and were inspired by the many personal winning moments that people shared with us,” said Jón Sigurðsson, Össur’s president and CEO. “In his entry, Diego reminded us that size is no indicator of ability or heart, and showed how he truly enjoys a life without limitations. We look forward to welcoming him and his father to La Jolla.”
To view the winning video, visit www.youtu.be/1Sv7LOnROiE.