A man from Long Island lost a leg after a shooting accident. Now he’s an accomplished bodybuilder.
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Louis Plumitallo, 22, is a Mount Sinai man who vowed not to let his tragic incident consume his life. Instead, he decided to do something amazing.
The champion bodybuilder spoke to The New York Post about how he became a champion bodybuilder after losing his leg.
When he was 18, a friend at the time recklessly pointed a rifle at him, unaware that it was loaded. “Before I could even say anything, it went off,” he recalled. The shot pierced his leg, and he had to lose it.
This injury turned his world upside down. He had to leave Suffolk Community College and adjust to life as an amputee. Every day tasks became a new challenge to solve. But he wouldn’t let his condition get him down.
“When I went to the prosthetic store for the first time, I saw so many other young people in there completely losing it and breaking down,” he said. “I knew I couldn’t let that be my life.”
He Hit The Gym To Cope, And Found A New Calling
“I used the gym as an outlet,” he continued. “I was in there two hours a day.”
Before the accident, Plumitallo played hockey, so physical exertion and exercise was not new to him.
Working out with his injury was another challenge he had to face, however. But thankfully, he had a mentor. His trainer at Rocky Point’s Personal Fitness Club, Ed Darcy, helped Plumitallo adjust and work out.
“He helped me get back to normal again — I want to have kids and all that. So I had to get back in shape and everything anyway. I couldn’t be lazy,” he said.
He followed the path of bodybuilding thanks to encouragement from his gym peers. And by 2023, he was able to perform at the Bev Francis Atlantic States Championships. He came second, but has since had his time.
This June, Plumitallo scored first place in the men’s physique juniors competition.
“It felt like a huge weight off my back with getting back to normal.”