Nebraska rancher Kevan Hueftle is living the kind of story that few people get to tell.
Hueftle, of Eustis, rose from the depths of a 2005 hunting accident that cost him his foot, as well as the resulting depression and a subsequent battle with alcohol, to become a champion Paralympic runner.
“I was shot in the left foot during a hunting accident,” he recalled. “Six months later, I decided to amputate it right above the ankle. I was only 20 years old at the time. I was a successful track athlete and actually tried to go and run again at the University of Nebraska-Kearney. However, I hadn’t finished healing yet.”
In his words, Hueftle said he was “taking pills to get through the day” and “drinking more and more." He transferred from UNK to Southeast Community College in Beatrice to get his ag degree in 2009.
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But it wasn't until 2015 that he took control of his life.
“I hit my four-year sobriety mark on Aug. 7 of this year,” he said.
By January 2017, Hueftle was reflecting on his track career, remembering how fast he could run in his prime.
“I went to a prosthetic maker in Kearney and switched the old prosthetic leg over to a new one," he said. "Then, I started running again.
“As I got further into training, I went to a prosthetist in Washington that put me on a brand-new leg. I was training every single day and my times kept getting faster."
Two years of training led Hueftle to the Parapan American Games in Peru in August.
He said it was a very emotional experience when he received his Team USA gear. He traveled to Peru with “not a lot of expectations.” After all, Hueftle had never traveled internationally. He was also a full-time rancher with a family and a couple of side businesses trying to get his training in. Plus, Hueftle was a 34-year-old competing against runners in their 20s.
“I think the cards were stacked against me,” he recalled. “However, I ended up placing second in the 200-meter dash and won the 100-meter dash. That was a great feeling."
Hueftle’s coach — who lives in Florida — came to watch him run in Peru. It was the first time the two had worked together face-to-face.
“I had five days on the track with him, which was amazing,” Hueftle said. “And having the national anthem played because you won a race was even more amazing. It was all Team USA members on the podium in first, second, and third, in both events.”
Hueftle first met his coach during a trip to Arizona for competition. He does his training through videos and workouts that are sent from Florida.
“My coach also works with Team USA,” Hueftle said. “He sought me out after the meet in Arizona and told me I had the skills and the mindset to do well in the competitions. I just didn’t quite have the technique yet.”
With his win in Peru, Hueftle earned a spot in the Paralympic World Championships in Dubai. Last month, he finished fourth in the 100 and 200, a tribute to his training regiment.
"With the caliber of athletes I’m trying to compete against, I can’t skip workouts," he said. "The ones that have faster times than I do are sponsored athletes, so training is their full-time job.”
Hueftle raises red Angus cattle with his family, who are among his biggest backers.
“I usually try to work out at 5 a.m., but if that doesn’t work out, I usually head up to the high school in the evenings with my kids to work out," he said. "If that doesn’t work out, I’ve trained in cornfields or ran on highways."