Meet Adaptive Athlete: Allie Dorsey

Allie was raised in Grand Junction, Colorado, where her love for speed and mechanics took root early. Coming from a family of “desert people,” she started riding dirt bikes at a young age and quickly evolved into a competitive racer. Allie became an Expert Women’s Desert/Enduro dirt bike rider, racing in extreme events like the Tennessee Knockout and Endurocross, and tackling 200–500-mile desert races. When she wasn’t on a bike, she was building hot rods and race cars alongside her dad. She attended technical school for welding and automotive work, earning her associate degree.

 

On December 13, 2022, while starting her morning at work, a 4,000-pound steel beam fell on her due to unsafe conditions. The accident resulted in the immediate amputation of her right leg and severe injuries to her left hand. Despite the trauma, she remained conscious, called 911, and relied on the help of her fiancé and coworkers to apply makeshift tourniquets until emergency services arrived. She survived respiratory arrest, multiple surgeries, and a medically induced coma. Over the next two years, she endured 16 hand surgeries, multiple leg revisions, and eventually transitioned to a through-knee amputation. With the support of her family and medical teams, she has been walking with her prosthetic since February 2025.

 

Allie approaches life after her injury with the same determination she brought to racing. Though her recovery has involved major physical and mental hurdles, she has stayed focused on her goals. She is determined to gain the endurance to walk at least 20 miles at a time, regain her upper body strength, and race dirt bikes again at the level she once did. More than anything, she wants to be strong enough to start a family with her husband and live the active, independent life she had before the accident. Mentally, she continues to battle the memories of her accident, which remain vivid and constant in her thoughts. Allie is working toward letting go of that trauma, truly mourning her loss, and finding peace within herself. Through her time at ATF, she hopes to build both the physical and emotional strength needed to move forward and thrive.