On occasion life affords us a glimpse into the future.
It is a unique, sometimes frustrating scene, but when you cross paths with something or someone truly exceptional, your mind – and your heart – fill with hope and positivity.
Spending time with Calamus, Iowa’s Carter Henning, lends hope that life’s highway – with youngsters like him leading the way – will be brighter – and bigger – than a star-filled Montana sky.
“Impressive,’’ might be understating all that is the ultra-determined, ever-upbeat, soon-to-be 16-year-old, a three-sport athlete with a 4.0 grade-point average.
“I realized my life was going to change, but my job in all of this is to never give in,’’ Henning said as he engaged in a before-school physical therapy session with Rock Valley Physical Therapy’s Laura McEachern, PT, DPT, OCS, CMT.
Carter Henning and his amazing mother, Kayla Henning, had just completed the 40-minute, pre-dawn drive from Calamus to Rock Valley’s Davenport, Iowa-based Five Points Clinic. All done so Carter Henning could work one-on-one with McEachern, who was back on duty after time away becoming a mother for the first time. During that period, Rock Valley’s Dustin Hawk, PT, DPT, OCS, CMT, TSAC-F did tremendous work guiding the fortunes of Henning’s therapy.
The two Rock Valley therapists hold a special place in the heart of Carter Henning.
“They (McEachern and Hawk) have challenged me in the best way possible, and I know they care about me,’’ Henning said, just before impressively working an agility ladder under the watchful eye. “And I try every day to do the best I can with whatever is in front of me. “I’m lucky in that I have support everywhere, family, friends, teammates, the community.’’
Henning’s road to Rock Valley has been a remarkable lesson in grit, determination, a continuation of athletic gifts not everyone possesses, and a spirit which we all can draw from.
On a February Friday in 2025, Henning and a friend were checking out a snowmobile from its back, preparing to go riding, when a piece of track from the machine snapped, flew off, and struck Henning in the left leg.
One Quad-Cities-based emergency surgery was performed that day, followed by two more surgeries at the University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics, in Iowa City, Iowa in the following days. When Henning’s condition worsened over several days, it was determined it was best to amputate the leg below the knee.
After his wound healed, Henning, a three-sport athlete at Calamus Wheatland High School, began physical therapy with McEachern. When she stepped out of Five Points clinic to become a mother, Hawk stepped in.
The two therapists – with Henning – devised a plan that would improve balance, single-leg (quad) strength, mobility while wearing his prosthesis, and motivation to enhance an inner drive already instilled in a gifted athlete. There were goals Henning wanted to achieve that excited and challenged in the best way possible – the two gifted therapists.
“Carter was very motivated from day one, but we had to take it slow to allow for wound healing and for his blood pressure to normalize after all he had gone through,’’ McEachern said. “Physical therapy focused on range of motion of his hip and his knee, addressing phantom limb pain, and progressing from the wheelchair to crutches. My job early on was really to slow him down to make sure we didn’t have any setbacks, but then once he had the green light to start pushing it with exercises and activity, Carter really took it from there. He has been phenomenal to work with; he’s a great athlete and picks up on things very quickly. He has a great support system and does everything we ask of him outside of the clinic. This is really a testament to him, I must give him all the credit, but it has been fun to play a role in his story and get to watch him progress.’’
With Hawk, Henning worked on adapting to several different prosthetic attachments and the modifications that come with them.
“Our main goal has recently been preparing him for basketball, which requires more sprinting, jumping, cutting, and overall impact work,’’ Hawk noted. “We’ve also incorporated blood-flow restriction training to help rebuild the strength in his knee muscles.’’
Henning’s first post-surgery athletic challenge was golf, which in Iowa is a spring sport. Baseball – in Iowa and a sport Henning played at the varsity level in eighth grade and before the accident – is played in the summer.
“I was riding and watching (golf) practice and wasn’t supposed to be doing much, but I was hitting some balls,’’ Henning said, noting he would hit without the use of his prosthetic and balance himself on one leg – and hop – each time he would hit a shot.
“The coach saw this and then we asked for permission for me to play (in the team’s first meet) from my mom,’’ said Henning. “She was surprised I was even doing what I was doing. We made it work. I shot 46. Things kind of took off from there.’’
A successful season as Cal-Wheatland’s top golfer ensued.
Henning led the team in scoring over 18-hole events with a 94 average and was the varsity squad’s No. 2 scorer with a nine-hole average of 48. He played a leading role in his club’s two triangular team wins and its second-place finish at the IHSAA Golf Sectional, earning the team a District final appearance.
“It was great fun competing,’’ said Henning. “You never take anything for granted. Everyone around me was great. Sure, there has been frustration and uncertainty, but I have so many people supporting me. There has always been someone or somewhere to turn when things get tough.’’
Using a prosthesis, Henning would be a regular on his school’s junior varsity baseball squad, while also earning varsity reps as a middle infielder and a pitcher.
Amazing feats of skill on all fronts.
In October of 2025, life would take another positive turn for Henning. With support from a caring community, he would benefit from Amputee Blade Runners, a Nashville, Tenn-based company that helps amputees keep an active lifestyle by providing a free, state-of-the-art, athletic-designed prosthesis.
“I spent a week there learning about everything that goes into making it and what I can do because of it,’’ Henning said of the prosthetic. “From the fitting to the adjustments I would need to make and what I can do with it; it was all part of it. I learned from people who have them. It was amazing.’’
Since returning from Nashville, Henning has continued to work closely with Hawk – and then with McEachern – when she returned to work.
“Every time I am here (Five Points) I have been challenged by Laura and Dustin,’’ Henning said. “They have helped me reach the goals I have set for myself. They understand; they motivate me and give me challenges that will make me better. The other thing is they always ask me how I am doing, where I am as far as my goals are, and if I have a problem with anything. It helps a ton that they want only what’s best for me.’’
And Henning, who continues to work side-by-side with McEachern, has left a lasting impression on his Rock Valley team.
“It really speaks to Carter’s grit and unwillingness to give up,’’ Hawk said of Henning. “He is motivated by the desire to get better and return to the activities he loves. He has also had an amazing support system around him, his parents, doctors, coaches, and prosthetists, but Carter is the one who takes full advantage of every opportunity they give him. It’s one thing to show up to therapy, but it’s another to show up every day with that kind of drive and commitment to excellence.’’
Basketball is now the focus for Henning, who lived a summer experience many only dream about.
Thanks to Lexus and the John Deere Classic, Henning was given the opportunity to compete in the JDC Wednesday Pro-Am, sharing the spotlight with 2019 JDC champion Dylan Frittelli and 2007 Masters and 2015 Open champion Zach Johnson. A Cedar Rapids, Iowa native, Johnson, a dedicated philanthropist, is also the 2012 JDC champion and sits on the tournament board of directors.
The group shot 61 for the day.
“I was so excited when they (JDC tournament director Andrew Lehman) called to invite me,’’ said Henning, who has plans to attend Kirkwood Community College or Iowa State University to study Agriculture Business. “My heart was jumping outside my body on the first tee box, but we got through the day. They (Johnson and Frittelli) were amazing but everyone that day – and in so many other ways – was great. I just have to never give in.’’
Hawk says the sky – big and bright – is the limit for Henning.
“Carter has an incredible amount of grit and determination,’’ Hawk said. “He has never let his situation hold him back. He has had a head-down, keep-moving-forward mentality from the start. Seeing him not only return to golf but win tournaments and even compete in the John Deere Classic Pro-Am was amazing. Focus and adaptability have allowed him to fast-track his recovery and return to sports much sooner than expected. As a therapist, it’s truly inspiring to watch someone turn such a difficult situation into a story of resilience and recovery.’’
By: Johnny Marx, Storyteller