Full Circle Movement Long Island Recap
Full Circle Movement is always an incredible experience, and even still our latest event stood out in more ways than one. Last month’s Full Circle Movement Long Island was our first clinic of 2026, it was our first FCM in New York, and it saw our highest attendance and number of running blade prosthetic trials ever.
As we reflect on Long Island and look ahead to the Angel City Games, we’d like to share some experiences from participants and volunteers about what it means to move together.
But first, if you’ve never been to one of our movement events…
What is Full Circle Movement?
Full Circle Movement is an inclusive, half-day event designed for all ages and ability levels in the adaptive community to get together and move!
Participants have the opportunity to be fit with Ottobock running prostheses and get 1-on-1 coaching, and we conduct walking groups as well. Ultimately, the goal is to meet you where you are no matter how you move.
Aside from joining as a participant, clinicians, volunteers, and supporters are also welcome to attend and help with the event (or simply soak in the good vibes). And not to mention it’s completely free to attend!
Participating in Full Circle Movement
It’s hard to put into words the feeling you get running again for the first time after an amputation, sometimes years later, or maybe for the first time ever. For Nicole Grehn, a nurse practitioner and Long Island local who made it out to our New York event last month, it’s been almost 11 years—and a few unsuccessful attempts at running—to reach today.
“Today was, like, insane. I am so impressed with myself, and I cannot believe I did that. I’ve never been able to actually run in the blades without holding onto somebody, so my confidence is through the roof right now.”
Despite coming to the event thinking she’d watch from the sidelines, Nicole said it was encouragement from other attendees that got her to consider trying again, going on to note that’s what she loves about events like Full Circle Movement the most.
“You kind of always come with this mindset that you’re unsure about what you’re gonna do or what you’re capable of, and then someone motivates you, whether you‘re just seeing them do it or they’re saying, ‘Don’t you want to try this too?’”
This sense of encouragement and true connection form the heart of what Full Circle Movement is all about. And not just being around others but also feeling seen—not for what you can’t do but for what you can do. Nicole says it best though:
“And it’s like you’re being stared at because of your accomplishments... which is so different than when someone is staring at you out in the world. You’re being stared at by your peers, and they love you for it.”
FCM isn’t simply a running clinic. We welcome anyone and everyone to Full Circle Movement no matter your age, your ability level, or where you are with your mobility today. More than anything, these events are about connecting with people and witnessing what’s possible on the track so you can be more confident off the track too.
“When I come across that barrier in life, I have to have that same mentality,” said Nicole. “What would my crew—if I was at the Ottobock Full Circle Movement event—what would they say right now if they saw me shying away from that thing because I’m scared or I know it‘s gonna be hard?
They would tell me to do it! So that’s what I’m gonna do. That’s what I took away from today.”
Volunteering at Full Circle Movement
You don’t need to be part of the limb loss and limb difference community to take part in FCM. Far from it! We also welcome volunteers and supporters, and if you have a clinical background you can get involved in even more ways.
As an O&P resident, Lily Heyd made it out to Full Circle Movement to get experience with Ottobock products, better her coaching knowledge, and get tips that she can take back to her own practice.
For her, physical activity is everything, and more than anything she wants to share that with as many people as possible:
“Being able to be active has been probably the most life changing thing that's happened to me. So I think being able to share that with everyone regardless of their situation is just meaningful because I think it would help pretty much everyone to be able to move a little bit more the way they want.”
Aside from cheering participants on and spotting them during exercises, there’s also the invaluable experience of observing trial fittings done by Ottobock clinical experts as well as getting hands on with Ottobock fitness prostheses.
It’s this type of tangible experience that Lily and other clinicians can take right back to their practice: “I have not seen very many running legs. So being able to actually correctly attach it, align it, and make it the most comfortable for the patient is going to be really useful.”
And aside from the hands-on experience clinicians get from Full Circle Movement, itself, we also typically hold an Athlete’s Corner class the same weekend.
What is Athlete's Corner?
Athlete’s Corner is a continuing education course designed to help prosthetists, physical therapists, physicians, and other healthcare professionals gain the clinical skills needed to work effectively with prosthetic users who want to run.
If you’re interested, be on the lookout for events near you. In the meantime, you can also take our Fitness Prosthesis Essentials course, an online primer that’ll get you up to speed on Ottobock fitness prostheses and provide a base of knowledge you can use in your practice right away.
Continuing to Move Forward Together
With Long Island being our biggest event ever, that means more people gathering, more people moving, and more people running—perhaps for the first time ever.
The community is what makes these events stand out, and we have to thank Dr. Rai and The Rai Clinic for helping us host (and for bringing out the Long Island spirit).
FCM is incredibly meaningful for us as Ottobock employees as well. In fact, it’s one of the most rewarding parts of what we do in our community. For head coach Lucas Crisanti, it’s a humbling dose of perspective on the challenges people in the limb loss and limb difference community face every day:
“These events and specifically today are just so humbling for me. To be able to see the adversity that people go through whether it's walking or it's running for their first time, I just feel privileged to get to work with them and learn from them and everything they've been through.”
And that’s what it’s all about, right? Gathering as a community—laughing, cheering, striving, and moving—together.
