Ryan Gibbons shed a few tears the first time he went running on his new leg.

The Flex-Run with Nike Sole was an unexpected gift from A Step Ahead Prosthetics, the US company that built his artificial limb after his leg was destroyed in a road accident.

They’d seen his progress as a runner and decided to adopt him as one of their athletes.

“I cried when I ran with it,” said the 28-year-old of that first experience along Massachusetts’ Minuteman Bikeway. “I’ve not gotten a runner’s high from running, it’s always been more, OMG I’m running right now on a leg that I thought I would never be able to walk on, but that day I did cry.”

Mr Gibbons was only in the Burlington, Massachusetts offices through the generosity of the public.

Friends and family donated more than $20,000 after the foot component of his prosthesis broke through general wear and tear.

The donation allowed him to replace it, and pay off the outstanding balance on a medical loan.

He’s hosting a party at Hog Penny on Saturday from 10pm, as a thank you to all who contributed.

“With the tremendous positive support of you the people, we have seen great success in reaching my goal and then some,” he told friends on his Facebook page.

“I recently went out to Massachusetts to see my prosthetist [Bob Emerson] and have the work done on my leg. The activity level of the foot has been raised significantly so hopefully no more delaminations. ASAProsthetics also serviced the socket, performing a reduction on both the socket and inner liner and replacing the pin-locking mechanism.

“Now here is where the exciting part happens. ASAProsthetics also saw the fundraiser and the athletic work that I’ve been doing the past year and agreed to sponsor me as one of their adaptive athletes on Team ASAP and, in turn, donated a custom-built designated running device for me. The socket is essentially the same but reduced in certain areas but the foot component is totally different from what I was using to run in the past. They attached an Ossur Flex-Run foot component with Nike Sole so now I actually have a general purpose leg and one I can train in to take my sports to the next level.”

The company pledged to keep Mr Gibbons in “high-activity legs” as long as he continued with his athletics and allowed them to build the various components.

Mr Gibbons’ right leg was broken in nine places in a 2008 cycle accident. A wire in his ankle then came loose, which led to a bone infection.

“They said I would never walk without a cane or crutches,” said Mr Gibbons, a bartender at Barracuda Grill. “I was told I wouldn’t be able to dance or walk up hills and would have to take painkillers for the rest of my life.”

He decided to amputate the leg in 2010 following consultation with Mr Emerson, a former paralympic skiing world champion and head prosthetist at ASAP’s Boston offices.

“I am lucky in that the decision was my own,” he said. “I didn’t wake up missing my leg. It was more like, get my leg off, get a better leg and be up and running in six to eight weeks.”

That initial prosthetic leg cost around $19,000 of which only $4,000 was covered by a one-off insurance payment. He was forced to take out a loan to pay the difference.

Mr Gibbons estimates his prosthetics will need to be replaced every three to five years, due to his active lifestyle.

Aside from his movements behind a busy bar, he’s competed in several races on the Island, most recently last Sunday’s Peace Run.

“My [first foot was a] category one — a foot with not much flexion. It’s for someone who’s not very active,” he said. “What I [now] have is category three to four. It’s for dynamic movement.”

Read Mr Gibbons’ blog: rcgbda.com