Keith Mann’s life is divided into two parts — pre amputation and post amputation — but athletics remains the common thread between them.
It’s been 20 years since the 37-year-old Plainfield native’s world changed in an instant. A tragic accident his junior year of high school led to him becoming a member of the US National Amputee Soccer Team, training for triathlons and running the New York City marathon at the age of 19 on forearm crutches, nearly breaking the crutch world record.
In one week, he’ll be taking on his latest challenge, competing in the TRI Mountain Lake Sprint Triathlon in Liberty Township on July 16 for the second consecutive year. The race is part of his training for October, when he’ll travel to Istanbul, Turkey, to compete in his third World Cup as a defender with the U.S. National Amputee Soccer Team.
“I’ve always kind of set goals for myself, like I am doing that right now with my training. Trying to reach personal bests on runs and I am doing bike rides, Mann said. “I always try to challenge myself and get the best out of myself.”
The course is a quarter mile swim in the glacial lake hidden among the mountains, a 15 mile bike ride up and down the mountain and a three mile run. The race benefits The Arc of Warren County, whose mission is to help people with intellectual and other developmental disabilities.
Mann’s training regimen consists of trail running up to 3.5 miles, riding his bike and swimming at the local high school pool.
And he does it all without the use of a prosthesis.
“For him to get up and down those hills is insane and just impressive,” TRI Mountain Lake race director Dana Baffuto said. “It takes a lot of mental willpower to do those races. You get to run after doing a swim and bike. I always say, a lot of people who do triathlons say that it is 50/50 mental and physical. So you can train all you want, but you are working against your mind out there too, so to know he has got that physical aspect that is much harder for him, and then push through mentally is even crazier and very impressive for the part too.”
Mann was 17 years old when his left leg was amputated below the knee. Hanging out with friends after school, he attempted a wall running stunt that went tragically wrong. While traveling up a wall, he crashed through a window and his leg landed on the broken glass at the bottom.
The multi-sport athlete was hospitalized for two months. Efforts were made to save the leg, but complications eventually led to amputation. It was a life-altering summer, but sports helped Mann with the transition.
“I had a lot of really great friends that were able to visit throughout the summer and family. My family never left my side that whole summer. .. It was a long summer, but I really did have a lot of great friends that helped push me through, and athletics kind of pushed me through, because it was always a part of who I was pre-amputation, so why not it be something post-amputation too? I will just have to do things in a slightly different way.”
And that’s exactly what he did.
Mann, an elementary teacher who now resides in Milford, Pa., with his wife, Sam Dietz, continued to compete. His senior year, he was a member of the swim team and also wore his prosthesis to compete in singles tennis. He missed his favorite sport, soccer, and eventually found his way back to it a decade later, joining the US team.
N.J. native Keith Mann competes in a previous World Cup with the US National Amputee Soccer Team.
A striker in high school, Mann now plays center back and has emerged as a leader on the field.
“I enjoy it from a tactical standpoint and being able to see the field. I like to think I have a pretty high IQ on the field, especially since I have been part of the team for so long,” Mann said. “And I used to be a striker, so when I played before amputation, I was all about trying to score goals and trying to disrupt the defense. So it is kind of strange how now I am in the position where I am kind of defending against what I used to do and try to diagnosis in the opposite way.”
During the last World Cup in 2018, U.S. National Amputee Soccer Team head coach Dr. Eric Lamberg said they came up with an award especially for Mann — “The Beast” award, based off of the competitiveness he displays on the field.
“You can’t leave a game without saying: Wow. He played an unbelievable match,” Lamberg said.
“Keith clearly demonstrated that he is one of our most pivotal players on the field. He is a very skilled defensiveman who sees the field and plays with determination. He’s always been one of the most valuable players on the field and has been extremely important not just on the field but to help our team stay solidified and to allow us to attract new players and to grow as better team.”
Dietz backed up her husband’s competitive, beast mentality.
“He really is. It’s crazy. On the field, he is very competitive, but in the best way,” Dietz said. “He wants to win. He wants to lift his teammates up. He does tend to be pretty physical when he is playing, but it is really cool to see his passion when he is out on the field.”
But more than the rush of competitiveness Mann enjoys while competing, it’s the camaraderie of being part of a team and representing his country that gives him goosebumps.
“I’ve always been interested in watching sports and the ability to play at a high level, and to be able to do it with amputees and showing people what we can do with whatever limited exposure we do have,” Mann said. “To show we have stories and that we all have different backgrounds and all had amputations for different reasons.
“We all have our individual stories that make each one of us kind of incredible, and so being able to share in that when you get together and hear about different things people are doing, it also kind of inspires you to do more. To do more for yourself and to do more for others.”
And in turn, he continues to inspire others. At the finish line of last year’s Tri Mountain race, Mann was met with cheers and given an honorable mention medal for his efforts.
“I think it also inspires me. I love that he is able to feel that from people,” Dietz said. “I know that it can be hard with his disability — which is really not a disability for him at all — to feel connected and I think when he sees that people are appreciating what he is doing and getting their respect and treating him like everyone else, it makes me feel good, because he does get on occasion, when we will be walking around and people will look at him differently, but I think he just feels connected to those people and that is a great feeling for me too.”
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Joey Chandler may be reached at jchandler@njadvancemedia.com