Mitchell, S.D. resident Glen Shoemaker turned 50 in 2009 in a hospital bed. On his birthday, doctors told him that, as a result of a botched back surgery he had recently undergone and ensuing infection, he was paralyzed. Not long after, Shoemaker became a double-leg amputee, leaving him confined to a motorized wheelchair.
Six years later, Shoemaker, 56, has found a way to push the boundaries and once again drive a motorcycle.
On Wednesday, Shoemaker was fitted with a motorcycle customized specifically for his condition at Sabers Victory Motorcycles in Mitchell. Thursday, Shoemaker took his motorcycle on its maiden voyage. Read more.