Limbitless: A Man with No Arms or Legs to Take on Rockaway Marathon

By Katie McFadden

Running a marathon is a difficult feat on its own. Now imagine doing it without arms or legs. Chris Koch doesn’t have to imagine. He’s done everything in his life without limbs, including 19 marathons. And on Saturday, April 12, he’ll be rolling through Rockaway Beach as he takes on marathon number 20.

For no known reason, Koch, of Alberta, Canada, came into this world 46 years ago with no arms or legs. But he’s always lived a relatively normal life. “I never knew any different. My parents didn’t treat me any different. I was just Chris. If I wanted to play baseball, or snowboard or whatever, they let me figure out a way to make it happen,” Koch said. It’s helped having a positive outlook, and a sense of humor, something he grew up with. “The day I was born, when my grandma found out about me missing arms and legs, she said my dad ‘never finished anything he started.’ That set the tone right there,” he said.

For Koch, he’s made it a goal to finish just about everything and set an example for others with a motto of “If I Can.” “If a guy without arms and legs can snowboard, surf, farm or do a marathon, anyone is capable of doing what they dream of. It’s not about arms and legs. It’s that muscle between the ears. It’s about resiliency, perseverance and mindset. And humor is huge, too,” Koch said. It’s that encouragement that Koch brings into every speaking engagement he does as a motivational speaker, traveling around the world, inspiring others, and a personal motto he lives by as he travels the world, “running” marathons.

Koch grew up doing what every kid does, playing whatever sport he could after school and when his grandfather needed help on the farm, he operated whatever equipment he could. Farming is still something Koch does while home in western Canada. But for the most part, Koch is on the road, on a plane, or on his skateboard, inspiring others through his company, “If I Can.” He’s spoken everywhere from smalltown schools to large companies like Google and John Deere. Some of the more meaningful talks have been at Ohio State, for Future Farmers of America, in front of a group of 6,500 high school students, to Nepal for a presentation for kids with disabilities, and even for the Brooklyn Cyclones. And while some speaking engagements have been big, some smaller ones have made even more of an impact. “I did a presentation at a middle school in Alabama and a girl with a disability came up to me after and said, ‘I firmly believe God brought you here for a reason because just a day or two ago, I told my parents I’m tired of living. My disability is severe enough that I can’t even take my own life.’ Hearing that floors you,” Koch said. He advised the young girl to keep talking to people, and he gave her his personal number. Four years later, Koch’s phone blew up with a flurry of text messages, one including a photo of the girl walking across the stage with a walker to collect her diploma. “That’s what it’s all about,” he said.

Koch’s words have served as inspiration to thousands across the globe. But he isn’t just about the talk. “I’ve done a lot of marathons to raise money for causes to make as much of a difference as possible. I’m putting my money where my mouth is and leading by example,” he said.

Koch started running in marathons in 2016, with the first being in Calgary. He was immediately hooked. “People ask why would you deliberately run 26.2 miles? There are those who say that’s the stupidest thing in the world, those who do one marathon and say ‘ok, I can check it off,’ and then there’s the ones who may be a little psychologically unhinged who, like me, finish and say, ‘holy s***, that was cool. I need to do it again and again,” he said. “Rockaway will be the 20th marathon.” From Canada to all over the states, Malaysia, Dubai, Iceland and Ireland, and of course, the New York City marathon this past November, Koch has not only talked the talk, but ran the runs in each place.

Except for Koch, “running” looks a little different. “I used to wear artificial legs, then about five years ago, I was in Florida and things changed course. I bought a longboard. I used to skateboard when I was a kid, going from class to class, so I got the board and was cruising down the boardwalk and after 20 minutes, I stopped to see how much distance I covered. It was just a game changer,” Koch said. Weighing the pros and cons of prosthetics, Koch realized there was no better way to get around than on wheels.

How does he do it? “On my right side, I have a partially developed leg with a partially developed foot, so on the board I use that one leg to propel myself. The right side does all the work for 26.2 miles,” he said. The only challenge is finding marathons that are willing to welcome those who use adaptive equipment, sometimes on short notice. Lucky for Koch, Jim McVeigh of Rockaway Track Club was immediately open to it when he got an email from him on March 28. With his eyes set on the Calgary marathon on May 25, Koch was looking for something five weeks out as a tune up. Having such a positive experience during the New York City marathon, Koch wanted to head back to town, and he found Rockaway Beach as an option, with Rockaway Track Club’s marathon on Saturday, April 12.

“I had barely sent the email and Jim got back to me saying he’d love to have me,” Koch said. McVeigh shared, “I was excited because it’s such a huge undertaking for a man like that. I’ve worked with Special Olympics with Joe Featherston for many years, so I’ve spent a lot of time working with special athletes. My hat’s off to this guy. The fact that he’s done 19 marathons, I feel very secure about him knowing what he’s doing. I’m very interested to see how he pulls it off.”

While Rockapulco Runs welcomed adaptive marathoners in the past, with some using wheelchairs, it’ll be a first for Rockaway Track Club. Taking the torch from John Edwards, McVeigh continued that running legacy with Rockaway Track Club four years ago, and he’s excited to have their first participant using adaptive equipment. McVeigh was so welcoming, that he immediately told Koch he’d waive his admission fee for Saturday. “It was just a gesture of good will to welcome him to the community. I’m sure he’s got enough expenses getting down from Canada. It’s the least I can do,” McVeigh said.

So early Saturday morning, when the Rockaway Track Club’s races kick off at 8 a.m. on the boardwalk at Beach 94th Street, Chris Koch will be on his longboard, ready to roll. And McVeigh’s hoping he shares a few words of encouragement for all of the participants. “He’s a motivational speaker so hopefully he’ll say a few words at the start of the race,” McVeigh said.

Koch will be flying into New York on Thursday and spending some time with his friends on the Brooklyn Cyclones, but he’s looking forward to Saturday. “I met a lot of great people at the NYC marathon, and I guarantee there will be people that I met there. These smaller marathons like Rockaway are a neat mental challenge because unlike the NYC marathon, you don’t have the big crowds cheering you on, so it’s a lot more of being inside your own head to push yourself to do it, but Jim has been so awesome, so I’m looking forward to it,” Koch said.

Saturday’s forecast calls for rain, but McVeigh says, “the show must go on.” And Koch isn’t too worried. “The rain will have minimal effect. It’s gonna be what it is and I’m just gonna do it and have fun,” he said. Koch expects to finish under 4 minutes and 30 seconds.

For more information about Chris Koch and If I Can, check out: www.ifican.ca or ifican.chriskoch on Instagram.
Photo by Julia Doyle.