Dell Miller’s Road to Dublin: His First Marathon as a Bilateral Amputee

For Dell Miller, staying active has always been part of who he is.

Raised in Idaho as one of 11 children, Dell grew up surrounded by hard work, sports, travel, and a desire to experience more of the world. After college, he moved to Washington, D.C., where fitness became an increasingly important part of his life.

He ran 5Ks, progressed to half marathons, and even helped organize a race in Haiti. Running was not simply exercise. It was part of the active and adventurous lifestyle Dell had built for himself.

Then, in 2015, everything changed.

A Life-Changing Diagnosis

While living in Los Angeles, Dell contracted meningitis and became critically ill. He was given approximately a 15% chance of survival.

Severe complications eventually led to bilateral below-knee amputations.

Faced with the decision to undergo amputation, Dell was focused on what came next.

He wanted to travel again. He wanted to play sports. And most importantly, he wanted to get back to running and living an active life as quickly as possible.

Just months after receiving his prostheses, Dell was walking again.

That was only the beginning.

Eleven Years Later, a New Challenge

Today, eleven years after becoming a bilateral amputee, Dell is preparing for something he has never done before.

This fall, he will travel to Dublin, Ireland, to complete his first full marathon, running on behalf of the Adaptive Sports Foundation.

At 26.2 miles, it will be the longest distance Dell has ever run, both before and after becoming an amputee.

Training for a marathon is demanding for any athlete. For Dell, every mile also involves managing two prostheses and the changing conditions that come with extended activity.

As his training volume increases, so can challenges related to socket fit, residual limb volume, heat, sweat, and overall comfort.

But Dell has never been interested in allowing his prostheses to define what he can and cannot do.

The focus remains on the goal ahead.

Supporting Dell’s Road to Dublin

Ethnocare is proud to sponsor Dell throughout his marathon journey.

Our role is simple: provide him with tools that can help make his prosthetic experience more manageable so he can spend less time thinking about his prostheses and more time focusing on his training.

Two Ethnocare solutions have become particularly relevant to the challenges Dell faces as an active bilateral amputee: the Overlay and the Underlay.

Managing Changes in Socket Fit With the Overlay

Residual limb volume can change throughout the day.

During long training sessions, those changes can affect the relationship between Dell’s residual limb and his prosthetic socket. A socket that fit properly at the beginning of a run may feel different as the session progresses.

The Ethnocare Overlay provides Dell with an adjustable way to respond to those changes.

Worn over the prosthetic liner and inside the socket, the Overlay uses inflatable air cells to help compensate for variations in available space within the socket.

Instead of simply continuing with a socket that has become loose, Dell can make small adjustments to help restore a more appropriate fit.

For someone training for a marathon, where comfort and consistency can change over many miles, having that ability to adjust can be particularly useful.

Managing Heat and Sweat With the Underlay

Socket fit is only part of the challenge.

Long-distance running also means heat and sweat.

A prosthetic liner creates an enclosed environment around the residual limb, and extended physical activity can make moisture management increasingly important.

The Ethnocare Underlay is designed specifically to help manage sweat, heat, humidity, and odor underneath the prosthetic liner.

Dell uses the Underlay Open, which is worn underneath his liners while maintaining direct liner-to-skin contact at the distal portion of his residual limb.

Its textile construction helps wick moisture away from the skin, while the breathable section extends above the liner so moisture and heat can be managed more effectively during activity.

For an athlete spending hours training in his prostheses, that can make a meaningful difference in the overall wearing experience.

Two Different Challenges, Two Complementary Solutions

The Overlay and Underlay address two very different aspects of Dell’s prosthetic experience.

The Overlay helps him manage changes in socket fit and residual limb volume.

The Underlay helps him manage heat, sweat, and moisture underneath his liners.

Together, they provide Dell with additional tools to manage some of the challenges that become especially noticeable during long periods of activity.

And for Dell, that is ultimately what matters.

When his prostheses are fitting well and he is comfortable, he can focus less on the equipment and more on what he wants to accomplish.

In this case, that means getting through the next training run, increasing his mileage, and eventually crossing the finish line in Dublin.

Built for More Than the Marathon

Dell’s story is extraordinary, but the challenges he experiences with his prostheses are not limited to marathon runners.

Residual limb volume changes, heat, sweat, and changes in socket comfort can affect prosthesis users during work, exercise, travel, or simply over the course of a long day.

Dell’s training provides an especially demanding environment in which to put these solutions to work.

For us, supporting his journey is also an opportunity to stay close to the real-world experiences of active prosthesis users and continue learning from how our products perform when they are pushed further.

The Miles Ahead

Dell has already overcome challenges far greater than 26.2 miles.

His journey from surviving meningitis, to bilateral amputation, to walking again within months, and now preparing for his first marathon is a reflection of the active life he was determined to return to from the beginning.

This fall, when Dell lines up at the start of the Dublin Marathon, Ethnocare will be proud to be a small part of that journey.

The goal is not to make the prosthesis the center of the story.

It is to help make sure it doesn’t have to be.

Good luck, Dell. We’ll be cheering you on all the way to Dublin.

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