A United States Paralympic hopeful is asking the public for help in finding his running blade — a prosthetic leg he said was stolen from his car in San Francisco.
Ranjit Steiner woke up on his birthday Tuesday morning to discover thieves smashed his car window on Cesar Chavez between Mission and Valencia streets, and took his laptop and his leg.
"It's just so low," Steiner said. "You never think anybody would take something like that."
Steiner, who runs for City College of San Francisco, needs the leg to continue his training. He is a hopeful for the 2016 Paralympics in Brazil after placing third in the 200 at nationals last year. By sheer coincidence, a San Francisco police officer found a $7,000 prosthetic leg with a brown lace-up shoe last week at Eighth and Market streets.
"For me, that's my way of life," Steiner said. "The most exciting part of my day is when I get to go to track practice."
Prosthetist Garrett Hurley, who co-owns the prosthetic clinic that employs Steiner, said the stolen leg will not benefit the thief.
"The value it has for Ranjit far exceeds anything that anybody could get for it on the black market," Hurley said. "I mean, we're talking 100-fold."
Local
The leg, or running blade, has yellow stripes. Steiner said the thieves also stole his backup blade.
The prosthetic legs are expensive and specific to Steiner's body.
"Two blades and then a knee and a socket comes out to $30,000," Steiner said.
Steiner is now hoping the public will give him a birthday present by helping him find his running blade and continue his dream.
"Right now, I'm just waiting for that and then I'll continue my season whenever the time comes," he said.
Steiner's next meet on his road to hopefully making the Olympic team is scheduled for this weekend.
