By Bob Groeneveld/Special to the 91原创 Advance Times
.
At first, it鈥檚 difficult to accept that what 17-year-old Alex Sol is talking about is just a school project.
But then, the prosthetic limb he holds in his hands 鈥� designed to allow a below-the-knee amputee play soccer 鈥� wasn鈥檛 鈥渏ust鈥� a class assignment.
It was a , and the culmination of inspiration from his teacher, Kristian Lay, who 鈥渉elped us focus on our passions and doing something that we were really interested in.鈥�
鈥淲e were encouraged to do a project that we were passionate about, that we were interested in, and that we could build off of for our futures,鈥� explained Sol, who is planning to study mechanical engineering on a soccer scholarship at UBC Okanagan next year. 鈥淪o I wanted to combine my interest in soccer and engineering and biology, and try and figure out something that could help other people.
The 91原创 Fundamental Middle & Secondary School student has a friend, a Surrey United soccer club teammate, whose mother has a prosthetic leg 鈥渢hat kept her from playing soccer for the past few years,鈥� he said.
He decided that designing a leg that someone like her could use would be a good project.
The Capstone project requirements meant he needed to work with a mentor.
鈥淚 got lucky in that my neighbour, Arnout Stams, is a physiotherapist with expertise in biomechanics,鈥� said Sol. 鈥淗e was able to get a real prosthetic for me from a clinic nearby.鈥�
There was very little ankle movement in the prosthetic鈥檚 鈥渧ery rigid structure,鈥� said Sol, 鈥渨hich would make it hard to do basic soccer movements like running and kicking and stuff like that. We wanted to make something that had ankle movement and also maximum comfort and functionality, including the comfort around the leg, and the weight of the prosthetic.鈥�
Adam Moore, Sol鈥檚 principal at LFM&S, has only praise for one of his prize students.
鈥淗e鈥檚 a champion for the underdog, a wonderful student, and a key member of this community.鈥�
鈥淲hat was particularly admirable,鈥� Moore explained, 鈥渨as that this was what Alex decided to pursue as his Capstone project. He鈥檚 got two working legs, but he鈥檚 also very passionate about soccer, so he thought, 鈥楬ow can other people who have a struggle that I don鈥檛 have enjoy soccer in ways that I do?鈥� So he created a prosthetic leg that鈥檚 specifically designed to play soccer.鈥�
.
RELATED: 91原创 Fundamental soccer wins provincial AA championships
Sol also made an impression on 91原创 School District instructional services director Dawne Tomlinson when she met him at a showcase of learning at LFM&S. 鈥淚鈥檝e invited him to our Ideas Summit this year in May, which celebrates students鈥� innovations, designs, entrepreneurship, and altruism.鈥�
She said Sol is one of a number of students who have been 鈥渄oing really cool things鈥� through the new Capstone program.
She spoke with a Mountain Secondary student who is being mentored by a filmmaker whom she contacted through Twitter.
Another 91原创 Fundamental student who connected with an interior designer at the home show, and another student who 鈥渉ad always wanted to build something鈥� created blueprints and had them approved through 91原创 Township for a garage on his parents鈥� property.
鈥淐apstone is really the culmination of really knowing oneself, knowing one鈥檚 strength, knowing one鈥檚 passions and interests and putting those together and to something that they really have to dig in to create or share out,鈥� Tomlinson said.
.
PAST COVERAGE ON ALEX: Vancouver Canucks centreman comes out for Kids Can Help year-end party
Certainly, Alex Sol is a fan of the program.
鈥淚f someone was to take it on as something that they鈥檙e really passionate about, to do a project on something that really interested you,鈥� he said, 鈥渢hen it would be a lot more engaging and enjoyable, and you would eventually come out with a better product, something that you鈥檙e more proud of. That鈥檚 something that helped me. If I did just any random project, it might have been a lot of work that I didn鈥檛 want to do, but I did enjoy the process and working with all the people that I worked with.鈥�
_________________________________
Is there more to this story?
Email: news@langleyadvancetimes.com
Like us on or follow us on
_________________________________
