Dick Traum devoted his life to helping people with disabilities compete as athletes in road races and other sporting events. In 1983 he founded Achilles International, a global organization that transforms the lives of people with disabilities through athletic programs and social connection.

Traum lost his right leg above the knee as the result of a car accident when he was 24. An accomplished college wrestler, he was determined to remain physically active. Traum completed the first five-borough New York City Marathon in 1976 in 7:24, becoming the first known amputee athlete to run a marathon.

Traum completed 11 marathons using a prosthesis and at least 25 marathons using a handcycle, including the 2023 TCS New York City Marathon at age 82. He coached and advocated for athletes with disabilities throughout his life. In 2003 Achilles International founded the Achilles Hope & Possibility, an annual road race for able-bodied runners and athletes with a variety of disabilities, held in multiple cities nationwide.

“When an able-bodied runner gets passed by someone who is blind or on one leg,” he said, “it changes their perception of what the disabled can do.”

Dick Traum died at age 83 in January 2024.