Photo By Chris Gardner | Tyler Heffner, left, and Col. Derek Baird, Fort Sill garrison commander, pose like...... read more read more
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FORT SILL, Okla. (Nov. 14, 2025) — On March 25, the Warrior Run finish line at Fort Sill became something bigger than a race. As 12-year-old Tyler Heffner crossed after 13.1 miles on a non-running prosthetic, his mother, Audrina, watched a quiet transformation.
When asked to take us back to that moment, Audrina said, “His eyes immediately lit up with accomplishment and with relief that he’d finished. About halfway through he wasn’t sure he could, but he was so proud to cross the line.”
Tyler doesn’t think he did anything special. His neighbors and his post think otherwise. The half marathon wasn’t designed for kids, yet Fort Sill made a one-time exception and created a special division and plaque so he could safely pursue his goal.
“I was truly overwhelmed by the love and support we received,” Audrina said when asked what the exception signaled about the community. “By creating this space for Tyler, Fort Sill didn’t just let him participate; they inspired him to push himself and helped him discover a new confidence.”
That confidence has been hard-won. Tyler was born with congenital pseudoarthrosis of the tibia, a rare condition that bowed his left leg and made standing, walking and even bike riding painful. He underwent an amputation at age 3, but pain and limits lingered.
“After his below-the-knee surgery at 7, he was a completely different kid,” Audrina said when asked what changed after the second surgery. “He learned to ride a bike; he could jump and dance his confidence soared. Now he feels like he can do anything.”
Tyler found running the way many kids do, through heroes. When asked how running entered the picture, Audrina smiled. “He is obsessed with Marvel, especially the Avengers. Every prosthetic he’s had has been Avengers-themed. Those heroes showed him what strength and courage look like when odds feel impossible. When he saw a superhero-themed race, he thought it wasn’t just a run, it was a chance to prove he had that same strength.”
It wasn’t only fictional heroes who showed up. After hearing about Tyler’s half marathon, Fort Sill Garrison Commander Col. Derek Baird shared his story at a Lawton City Council meeting. The shout-out sparked a chain reaction: City Manager John Ratliff created the Young Achiever Award to honor exceptional courage, perseverance and achievement in young people, and Tyler was the first recipient.
When asked which actions by Baird opened doors, Audrina didn’t hesitate. “It was a domino effect after Col. Baird,” she said. “The recognition led to interviews, which led to more people learning about Tyler, which led to connections we didn’t know existed. That foundation helped Tyler get fitted with a running blade.”
If you’ve never seen a running blade, picture a curved, spring-like carbon-fiber leg designed to return energy and propel the runner forward. It’s light, fast and specialized and typically not covered by insurance because it’s considered a want, not an everyday medical need.
Walking through the process, Audrina said, “After Fort Sill recognized Tyler, we spoke to Channel 7, then Lawton, then News 9. The News 9 reporter knew the director of Limbs for Life and surprised us with a FaceTime during the interview. We later met Randy, and he said he’d make sure Tyler could finally get a running blade. They partner with the Challenged Athletes Foundation. We applied for the grant in May, got acceptance in June, the clinic ordered the parts, and once everything came in, Tyler was fitted. Prior to this, I had no idea organizations like Limbs for Life and Challenged Athletes existed.”
From a parent’s perspective, the blade is different from a daily leg in almost every way.
“Daily legs are heavier and not made for sports,” Audrina said when asked about fit, energy return, maintenance and cost. “Running prosthetics are very lightweight and built to return energy, but they’re not covered by insurance. His everyday sockets are custom fit and last up to two years as he grows. For skin care and comfort he wears a special sock to prevent chafing.”
Pacing and safety matter just as much. When asked how she balances protecting his health with honoring his goals, Audrina said, “We’ve always walked the 5Ks because his legs weren’t made for running, but he knows his limits. He knows when to rest, especially during longer events. I listen to him; he knows his body.”
With the new blade, running truly feels different. “It’s a lot lighter; I feel like I can run a lot faster,” Tyler said when asked how it compares to his everyday leg. And the design? “The Avengers.”
We saved a favorite question for last: If he named his blade and it could talk to him at mile 10, what would it whisper?
“Little Iron Man,” Tyler said with a grin. “It would tell me to keep pushing forward and see it through to the end.”
That message, keep pushing, see it through, isn’t just for mile 10. It’s for classrooms, ballfields and neighborhoods across the community. Tyler is already testing the blade in real-world ways: he and his mom are signed up for the Zombie Run, they recently tackled the Alien 8K, and he’s playing Child and Youth Services baseball. A quarter marathon is on the horizon.
Asked what she hopes other families take from Tyler’s example, Audrina answered for many parents whose kids navigate medical and mobility challenges. “Challenges don’t define you; they can become the thing that fuels your strength,” she said. “With courage, perseverance and support, you can chase big dreams. For families, your love, encouragement and belief can give your kids the confidence to do more than we ever imagined.”
And what’s next? “I want him to see not just what he can achieve physically, but the friendships, opportunities and sense of belonging that come with it,” Audrina said when asked about hopes for sports, school and community. “Fort Sill and Lawton have already shown us what it means to rally around someone. Whether it’s opportunities, encouragement or simply showing up, that keeps Tyler, and kids like him, moving forward with pride and determination.”
In every great origin story, there’s a mentor, someone who notices a spark and fans it into a flame. For Tyler, that mentor has been Baird, whose simple act of recognition at a city meeting set off a chain that led to the Young Achiever Award and a running blade. It’s a reminder that mentorship isn’t always a grand program. Sometimes it’s a nudge, a spotlight, a well-timed introduction.
Fort Sill is proud of Tyler, not just for finishing a half marathon, but for what he represents: resilience, curiosity and the courage to try. If you see a boy flying by on a curved blade with Avengers flair, that’s probably Tyler and “Little Iron Man.” If you’re at mile 10 and everything hurts, listen closely. You might hear that little voice, too: Keep pushing. See it through.
| Date Taken: | 11.14.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 11.14.2025 14:50 |
| Story ID: | 551124 |
| Location: | FORT SILL, OKLAHOMA, US |
| Web Views: | 12 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Little Iron Man: How a Fort Sill kid, a community and a commander helped a runner find his stride, by Chris Gardner, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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