Hilliard teacher Katie Bondy embraces chance with U.S. women's amputee soccer team
Other than using Instagram to post photos of her German shepherd service dog, Oliver, Katie Bondy has little use for social media.
That is partly why a random message several months ago confounded Bondy, a 32-year-old science teacher at Hilliard Online Academy.
Video of Bondy playing soccer at Adaptive Sports Connection caught the eye of Nico Calabria, the director of development for the American Amputee Soccer Association. At the time, Calabria was helping to assemble the first U.S. Women's National Amputee Soccer Team to compete internationally.
“Probably around nine out of 10 times (when I reach out regarding amputee soccer), the person says, ‘Hmm, probably not,’ ” Calabria said. “One in 10 times, it’s interesting and they want more information. One in 10 of those people actually end up joining.”
Bondy no sooner was convinced that the pitch was legitimate than she accepted the offer. And after a few trips to New Jersey for tryouts, not to mention less than 16 months after the amputation of her left leg, Bondy has become a cornerstone in goal for a team that will compete in the Amp Futbol Cup in Warsaw, Poland.
The team will play Poland on Saturday, followed by games against Costa Rica, England and Japan.
“My philosophy is you have to try everything at least once,” Bondy said. “Then you can say you either like it or you don’t.”
Considering Bondy always finds ways to stay active, whether with soccer, rock climbing, hiking, snowboarding or lacrosse — in which she starred as a goalie at Westerville South (2006-09) and Wittenberg (2010-13) — those who know her are not surprised. That Bondy was born with spina bifida and scoliosis, walked with her left leg 2 inches shorter than her right for the first 31 years of her life and has broken more bones than she can count are both a headline and a footnote to her story.
“This is quintessential Bondy,” said former Upper Arlington girls lacrosse coach Wendy Pinta, for whom Bondy worked with goalies from 2016-21. “When she gets the bug, she dives right in.”
For around 20 years, Bondy has worn, and continues to wear, a special brace to reduce the movement of her lower right leg and foot, where her muscles are particularly weak. She wears multiple long socks to avoid contact between her skin and the orthotic, and straps keep her ankle in place.
It was the frequent injuries to her left leg over the past several years that convinced Bondy amputation was her best long-term option. She broke her fibia, tibia and tallus in 2017 and “about 20 bones in my metatarsals and phalanges” in 2019 before MRSA led to a two-week hospital stay in spring 2022.
The amputation took place May 23, and she was home two days later.
“I’m not in as much pain (and) I can wear normal shoes,” said Bondy, who lives in Columbus. “When I wear pants, I’m not visibly disabled. That’s never been a problem, but when people look at you and see the two-inch difference, they know something is wrong. Now, they have to look at my gait to tell a difference.”
After college, Bondy was an assistant coach at Olentangy Liberty in 2014 and 2015 before a six-year run at UA that included four Division I state championships. Bondy, who also coaches in the Blackjack club program, went to Olentangy for a year after Pinta retired and now is an assistant coach for Hilliard Darby’s girls soccer team.
Pinta believes that Bondy’s adversity has made her a better coach.
“She is a master of adapting and coaching that (goalie) position to a wide variety of kids,” Pinta said. “I think that really stems from having to figure it out herself for so many years.”
Bondy is one of two central Ohioans on the roster. The other is LaQuinta Haynes, 36, of Canal Winchester. She had her left leg amputated in 2016 because of osteosarcoma, a form of bone cancer that usually occurs in longer bones of the arms and legs.
Bondy had one final pre-trip checkup Aug. 29 at the Hanger Clinic in Grove City, making sure her prosthetic and orthotics are properly set.
“There is absolutely a balance and a very fine line between durable and flexible (equipment),” said Jason Macedonia, a prosthetist and orthotist at the Hanger Clinic. “Finding that balance is sometimes the challenge.”
For her part, Bondy is balancing excitement with her competitive nature.
“If I fall, I fall,” she said. “I’ll get up. If I miss a ball, I’ll go after the next one. It won’t be just another game, because it’s not. … We’re on the world stage. But it’s supposed to be fun. Live in the moment and have fun.”
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus-area teacher embraces chance with U.S. amputee soccer team
