For Americans, the 4th of July is a hugely significant day. It is the day they celebrate their independence by throwing huge parties and events and eating lots of food and drink. 29 year-old Craig Towler, like any other American, was very much looking forward to this day. He never could have anticipated that it would end up being such a complete and utter disaster. He was involved in a traumatic car accident, which would have severe consequences, including the loss of both of his legs. His life was about to change forever.
Source: @craig_towler_/IG
The national holiday would ultimately be tainted with the memory of the accident, serving as a bitter reminder of what he had lost. Instead of feeling sorry for himself, Craig sought to overcome the problem and transform his life. It reminded him of the importance of living life to the fullest.
Perseverance
You might be familiar with the “Craig Towler Freedom Run,” this is an annual 5k race held at the Boulder Reservoir. However, this wasn’t always the name of the race. Following a shocking event that took place in the summer of 2016, the name was changed.
Source: @craig_towler_/IG
It’s pretty amazing for a fundraising event to be named in your honour and there is no doubt that it is an honour that Craig is more than worthy of. This is a story about a man who remained tough in the face of adversity, refusing to give up when his life was turned upside down.
Background
Craig was born and raised in the stunning city of Boulder, Colorado. It sits at the bottom of the incredible Rocky Mountains. Being fortunate enough to live in a place like this has meant that Craig has really made the most of nature, spending most of his time outdoors, engaging in various activities.
Source: @craig_towler_/IG
This has given him a passion for fitness and sports. He has always been thought of as a very driven and positive person. However, in 2016, he was faced with a challenge that would really put these attributes of his personality to the test.
Altered Perceptions
While Colorado is stunning all year around, even snowing at various intervals throughout the year, there is nothing like spending a summer outdoors there. With summer just around the corner, Craig was getting super excited for one of his favourite annual racing events, which took place on July 4th 2016, at the Boulder Reservoir.
Source: @craig_towler_/IG
Ordinarily, Craig would just be there to help coordinate the race. This time, however, he had a more important job. It was his first time helping to actually time the race. Little did he know, a life-changing event was about to change the way he perceived time altogether.
Realising His Passion
Craig had always been a very keen athlete. Throughout his schooling career, he had participated in a wide range of competitive sports, from participating in track and field events, to shooting hoops in basketball, to hitting home runs in baseball.
Source: @craig_towler_/IG
His love of sports continued throughout his time at The University of Colorado. He began to develop various strategies that would help him to achieve to the best of his potential. By the time he reached his mid-20s, he had realised just how important sports and fitness were to him, much more than any of his other interests.
Sharing His Passion
Craig wanted to share his passion for fitness with the world. He wanted to inspire and educate others to perform to the best of their abilities, just as he had. The young athlete managed to find a way to put his skills and energy to good use. He dedicated his career to this and felt extremely fulfilled as a result.
Source: @craig_towler_/IG
This ambitious man managed to land himself a job at one of the Southwest region’s sports event management companies. Sporting events are a huge part of America’s culture and Craig is part of a management team responsible for making these kinds of events happen.
Successful Career
Craig began working at the BBSC Endurance Sports in Boulder in 2012 and it wasn’t long before he became fully immersed in the company and the work. He got on very well with the other workers within the company and became more and more involved as time progressed.
Source: @craig_towler_/IG
In addition to his job assisting with the organisation of the race, he also spent his free-time volunteering at the races. He would even contribute in the races whenever he was able. This was just the beginning of what would end up being an amazing career with this company.
Race-day
After just a year working with the company, he had worked his way up the chain and been made the Official Course Coordinator. Craig loved every part of this role. Not only did he love the organisation of race-day and bringing the vision of the event to life, but he also loved the atmosphere of race-day.
Source: @craig_towler_/IG
What was most incredible about this day was that it brought the community together in such a beautiful way. He loved to see everyone getting involved in what was always a fun day of outdoor activities. Everything seemed to be coming together for this bright and driven young Boulderite.
Romance
Not only had things fallen into place perfectly for Craig career wise, he also soon met and started dating a beautiful woman called Amanda Schiewe. The two of them connected instantly, sharing in their passion for health and fitness.
Source: @craig_towler_/IG
While they had only been seeing each other for 3 weeks, things were moving pretty quickly and they were looking forward to celebrating Independence Day together, with a firework show to end the evening. How romantic! That wasn’t the only thing Craig was looking forward to that day…
4th July
Now that Craig was working with BBSC Endurance Sports, he had plenty of opportunities to get involved with sporting events. While the aforementioned 4th July morning run at Boulder Reservoir was one of his favourite annual events, Craig was even more excited this year as his company had offered him an opportunity to get involved in the “Star-Spangled Splash” 5k and 10k run in 2016.
Source: @craig_towler_/IG
“Every year (BBSC Endurance Sports) put on a race at the Boulder Reservoir on the morning of July 4th… This year was especially exciting because it was the first race I was working as the timer. Timing races is a very complicated and in-depth process and I was excited because I killed it,” Craig expressed in writing on his official website, Craigtoweler.com.
An Exciting Opportunity
There were many aspects of the world of athletics that Craig loved, but one of the things he derived the most pleasure from, was encouraging others and, consequently, seeing them reach their fitness goals. Therefore, working for a company who’s aim was to do this was perfect for Craig. Now he had the opportunity to not only support the racers by cheering them on, but he was also presented with a whole new challenge in being asked to time the races. He was ecstatic!
Source: @craig_towler_/IG
The afternoon couldn’t have gone better, the event was a success and he had really enjoyed himself. The icing on the cake would be his romantic date later that evening with Amanda. He raced to get home so that he would be ready on time. However, something terrible was about to happen that would turn his world completely upside down.
A Moment Of Impact
“Later that day after the event, I made it home to unload my vehicle and had plans to go celebrate the 4th of July with friends and watch fireworks. Just as I was about to finish unloading, I felt an impact that pushed me into the back of my vehicle…” Craig recalled.
Source: @craig_towler_/IG
“I was standing behind the tailgate of my SUV when I felt the impact, and I was pushed into the back of it with my legs hanging out the back… Before I knew what had happened, I looked down and saw both of my legs detached.” What a horrific sight!
Survival
People react to trauma in different ways. Even though we might know roughly how we should respond to certain situations, when the moment comes, we won’t always react in the most beneficial way. This is because when the panic sets in, it can be difficult to make a rational judgement.
Source: @craig_towler_/IG
It can be difficult to comprehend exactly what’s going on in that moment. You also don’t always feel the pain of an injury, no matter how severe, because there is so much adrenaline racing through your body. Craig dealt with this situation well, as his survival instincts instantly kicked in.
Fight Or Flight
It transpired that the driver of another car had lost control and crashed into Craig. He must have been absolutely terrified. There tend to be three types of reaction to this kind of incident: fight, flight or fright. Craig was in the fight category. Rather than instantly going into panic mode and losing all sense of rational, he was able to assess the situation.
Source: @craig_towler_/IG
“I immediately knew my life was in danger, and action had to be taken immediately for me to survive… to this day, I’m still not sure how I had the mindset that I did, but my thoughts were very clear, and I knew exactly what needed to happen if I did not want to die,” he wrote on his website.
Call For Help
Upon feeling the impact of the car and realising what was happening to him, Craig called desperately for assistance from anyone who happened to be nearby at that time. He tried his best to remain calm and not to panic. That would have been the worst thing to do.
Source: @craig_towler_/IG
“It was probably a blessing that it was the Fourth of July because there were so many people out and about that could come to my assistance. And I remember giving my phone to my roommate at the time, and asking her to make sure that an ambulance had been called… I also asked her to call my mum and tell her that she could come meet me at the hospital,” Craig recalled during a podcast interview with Chaskis.us.
However, Craig realised that something needed to be done before the first responders could arrive at the scene.
Taking Control Of The Situation
Craig’s roommate immediately called for an ambulance, just as he had requested. However, Craig knew that it would be a while before doctors would come to his aid and he needed medical attention in that moment. There was no time to wait for the professionals to arrive.
Source: @craig_towler_/IG
Somehow, Craig knew exactly what it was that he needed to do. Without hesitation, Craig took complete control of the situation, giving commands to those who were in the vicinity and had come to assist him. These instructions would come as quite a shock to the doctors when they arrived on the scene.
Not Giving Up
“I was still kind of sitting on the tailgate of the SUV, and you know, I haven’t had any formal training or anything. But I know enough about, kind of, how the body works, that if something’s bleeding it needs to stop,” he later explained in an interview.
Source: @craig_towler_/IG
“…and that if you have an injury, you want to keep it above your heart, so that it’s harder to pump blood out, and you can keep your blood longer,” Craig continued. There was no way that Craig was about to give up, this wasn’t the end. Far from it.
Life-saving Instructions
“I instructed them to help me lay flat on the ground… once I was on the ground, I could see the amount of blood that I was losing, and I was losing it very quickly. I then instructed the people around me to remove their belts, and secure them as tightly as possible to my upper legs above the injury to work as a make shift tourniquet,” Craig wrote on his official website.
Source: @craig_towler_/IG
Craig’s ability to remain calm and his general attitude towards the situation is testament to the person that he is. It is incredible that, while fighting for his life, he was able to approach the situation rationally and coherently explain to those helping him exactly what they needed to do.
Things Moved Quickly
Craig made sure that everyone who was helping him knew exactly what needed to be done. He told them not to worry about how much pain they were causing him. He kept reassuring them: “don’t worry about what I’m doing or screaming or anything just do it.”
Source: @craig_towler_/IG
“I remember that happening while I was holding a lady’s hand laying on the ground, and as that was happening that’s when I heard the sirens of the ambulance, and everything was happening really quickly. But there was also a calm in the air where I think everyone understood the severity and the immediacy of what needed to happen in order to stay alive,” he revealed.
Racing Against The Clock
When the doctors arrived, Craig was immediately transported to the nearest hospital. However, after closer examination of Craig’s injuries, the doctors realised that they were so intense that they would have to transfer him elsewhere.
Source: @craig_towler_/IG
Craig was transferred from his hometown, Boulder, to one of the top medical centres in Denver. It was vital that he get there as soon as possible. Time was short and his injuries were only getting worse. He was air lifted to Denver, to ensure that he got there quickly.
A Tough Call
The doctors had to make an incredibly tough call in order to save the life of this courageous young man. They knew that if they decided to go down this particular path, his life would never be the same again. They were left with no option, however, if they wanted to save his life.
Source: @craig_towler_/IG
“I underwent 5 surgeries throughout the course of the week involving the amputation of both of my legs. One was below the knee, and the other was through the knee. Skin graphs were also taken from both of my upper legs to close the wounds. I was in intensive care for over a week,” Craig revealed on his website.
Incredible Optimism
Just like that, everything had changed for Craig. This kind, caring young athlete had lost both of his legs and he now had a long and challenging recovery ahead of him. It was a tragedy. For a lot of people, if something like this happened to them, they would feel inclined to give up, however, this man was different. He had always been a hugely positive and optimistic person and this showed hugely through his attitude towards recovery. His incredible positivity helped him to overcome the challenges he now faced.
Source: @craig_towler_/IG
He posted an inspiring message on his website about his perspective on it all: “yes, my life may be a little different now, but I have no more challenges than anyone else, and all we do is persevere and continue to live the lives that we are blessed to have. I’m excited for the future.”
Embracing The Challenge
Craig’s life up until this point had largely revolved around his passion for fitness and health and he wasn’t about to let that go. He would learn how to live without his legs and still continue to inspire people to achieve their fitness goals. He accepted this challenge with open arms.
Source: @craig_towler_/IG
He would live his life to the full, even in spite of the circumstances he’d been presented with. In fact, it made him value his life even more so. “I didn’t fight for my life… so i could ask why me, and feel sorry for myself. I fought for my life because I’m not done here, and I’ve got a lot of living left to do,” he stated on his website. This wasn’t the only thing Craig realised following the accident.
He Saved His Own Life
It turns out that there was more than one reason that he survived that day, the first being the mental fight for his life. The instincts and knowledge that had come to him whilst the horrific scene was playing out, was what really saved him.
Source: @craig_towler_/IG
“I later learned from the doctors that the tourniquets had stayed on my legs until I entered surgery hours later, and are the reason that I am alive today,” Craig proudly stated on his website. Isn’t that incredible!? There were some incredible things that resulted from this tragedy…
Overcoming Obstacles
“It would be untrue to say that I have not been changed by this experience. The fact of the matter is that no matter how positive my outlook is, and how motivated I am to succeed, this experience has changed me for the rest of my life. I will forever have obstacles and challenges, but I won’t let them hinder me.”
Source: @craig_towler_/IG
After experiencing such an upheaval, there is no doubt that it will change you. There will always be difficult challenges to overcome. This kind of incident can also make or break any relationship that you might have. What did all this mean for Craig and Amanda?
Amanda And Craig
It’s one thing when you’ve been in a serious relationship with someone for years and something tragic like this happens. For Craig and Amanda, it was a whole different ballgame, since they had only been dating for a few weeks when all of this played out.
Source: @craig_towler_/IG
Amanda, incredibly, decided to stay by Craig’s side through it all. This, ultimately, ended up bringing them closer. They remain together and very much in love today, seeing the world together and supporting each other through their individual health and fitness journeys. What a heart-warming story!
Strong Support Network
Craig had an incredible support network around him. His loved ones set up a GoFundMe page for him following the accident, with the aim of raising enough money to help with all of his medical expenses and recovery fees. They managed to raise a whopping $135,493. Their goal had been $200,000, so this was close enough!
Source: @craig_towler_/IG
“With the comfort of having a community of support behind me, I can have the confidence to turn a challenging situation into an opportunity to learn so I can grow as a person, and not be discouraged by failure or hardships. As long as I’m well intentioned, working to be a good person, and to help others, I know I cannot fail,” he shared.
Lust For Life
If things weren’t already heartwarming enough, Craig actually decided to celebrate the anniversary of his accident annually. Instead of feeling all down about it, he referred to it as “Alive Day.” It symbolised the day he learnt to appreciate his life in a whole new way.
Source: @craig_towler_/IG
In addition to this, a decision was made by the community to rename their annual 4th of July morning race as the “Craig Towler Freedom Run,” as mentioned previously. Since then, the run has taken on a whole different meaning.
An Inspiring Message
Having made it through a year of intensity with regard to his recovery, which involved physical therapy and learning how to use prosthetics, Craig was very excited to celebrate his first ever “Alive Day” with the community in 2017.
Source: @craig_towler_/IG
He posted this on his GoFundMe page: “I will never be able to show my true gratitude for all your kindness, but I would like to invite everyone to celebrate my alive day with me at the first annual Craig Towler Freedom Run. I’d like to use this opportunity to once again come together as a community and to show the world that life is good and there is nothing more powerful than having perseverance and a positive attitude! The 4th of July is the day I became a survivor and I’d love to share it with everyone that’s been my support and motivation to not only keep going, but to succeed and continue to live life to the fullest despite the obstacles that are placed in our way.”
Savour Every Moment
What happened to Craig on the afternoon of the 4th of July has had a huge impact on him in many ways. One of the most important things he has taken away from it, is that time is precious and we must savour every moment.
Source: @craig_towler_/IG
Furthermore, the unwavering support of his community helped him to realise something else. He realised that he wanted to support others who had suffered a similar fate to him. He founded a free service (amputeeconcierge.org) to help other victims like himself. What a result!
Using His Experience
Craig explained this on his website: “I know this is a needed resource for amputees because I am an amputee who has struggled time and time again to find the answers to simple questions. A simple question unanswered can quickly develop into a frustrating problem.
Source: @craig_towler_/IG
I want to use my knowledge, and resources I’ve learned through my experiences to help you. Every second you save looking for the answer is a second gained in creating a solution. Time is our most valuable asset, so let’s work together to find solutions faster and stop wasting time searching.”