Mike Schultz, known better as “Monster Mike” in the racing world, lost his leg in 2008 after suffering a catastrophic knee injury during a snowmobile competition. Doctors told Schultz, “the only way he would survive was by amputating his left leg above the knee”.
“To hear that as a top-level athlete is something you’re not really prepared for, “ Schultz shared. But he took the news like a champ and was determined not to let it slow him down. However, the prosthetic leg he was given was only designed for walking and basic everyday use. It simply couldn’t withstand the impact and movement necessary for intense sports. Schultz knew he would have to get creative if he ever wanted to make it back to the world of competitive motor sports.
After spending months in his garage tinkering and trying numerous combinations, Schulz finally created the Moto Knee. By using a mountain bike shock absorber, he was able to create a unique prosthetic that not only could adapt to the user’s movements but also withstand the intense demands of motor sports. Less than a year later, Schultz placed 2nd at the ESPN Summer X Games Adaptive Super-X competition.
Two years after his accident, Schultz started his own company, BioDapt, which designs and manufactures “lower limb prosthetic components for amputees looking to participate in high-intensity sports and activities”. While he originally only set out to find a way to get back into the sports he loves, he realized “that there were so many other adaptive athletes that could utilize the equipment I was developing”. He also worked with Walter Reed Medical Center to help outfit injured veterans with their own Moto Knees.
Schultz decided to give snowboarding a chance after some clients shared their own success in the sport. He fell in love with it the moment he stepped on the board and has been competing worldwide since. The 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Games will be his third Paralympic appearance. At the 2018 games in Pyeongchang, he won gold for snowboard cross and silver for banked slalom. He claimed his second silver medal in Beijing at the 2022 games in snowboard cross.
Currently in Italy, attempting to earn another medal for Team USA, Schultz can be proud “that the entire US Paralympic snowboarding team will be wearing his prosthetics”. In fact, “Biodapt now supports about 90% of lower-limb athletes globally competing in para snowboarding competitions”.
Schultz plans to retire after this year’s Winter Paralympic Games to devote all his time to BioDapt in hopes of helping paralympians for the 2028 Summer Games. Schultz said, “For years, I’ve pushed myself to be the best athlete I could be, while spending countless hours refining the gear that makes that performance possible. As I step away from competition, I’m excited to take everything I’ve learned and apply it to helping the next generation of athletes go even further”.
