PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) — On May 10, Alistair Corkett nearly died after a pickup truck hit him on his bicycle at a busy Southeast Portland intersection. The 23-year-old lost his leg but not his passion for cycling.
On Sunday, a community-led swap meet and fundraiser was held to get him closer to getting a prosthetic leg and back on a bike.
“I am at a loss for words, which is generally not a problem for me,” Corkett told KOIN 6 News. “The amount of people and support today has really been surprising and overwhelming.”
He greeted well-wishers at the bike swap meet and fundraiser at O2 Endurance Training Center.
His bike team coach Bryant Howard is spearheading the effort to raise $100,000 for his medical expenses, and the GoFundMe page has collected 87% of that goal.
“There are donations in there from Kentucky, Texas, Ohio, southern California,” Howard said. “It’s just been great. The story has touched people well beyond the Portland community.”
Schwinn presented him with an indoor bike so he can get back into an active routine. Howard said the most important thing for Corket now is for him to regain “his mobility as soon as possible.”
Miriam Dean, an off-duty nurse who helped Corkett at the scene of the accident, was on hand to donate items Sunday.
“I just thought this was a good way to get closure for myself and help Alistair get back on a bike,” she said.
His older brother, Alexander, said, “One of the main reasons he’s been so positive and been able to be like this is because of the community support.”
A prosthetic leg can cost $50,000, so the fundraising is key in getting Corkett a leg specifically built for cycling.
“I’m in that transitional period where I’m just waiting for the swelling to go down so I can get fitted for a prosthetic,” he said. “It’s making it possible or me to get a cycling leg. I don’t even know what to say. I wouldn’t be able to ride bikes without it. It’s huge.”
“It makes me feel optimistic, really, that maybe it’s something I can continue to do,” Alistair Corkett said.
