Grand Strand man to play in Amputee World Cup

In 2004, 14 months after deciding amputation was the best option, insurance finally approved the surgery which cut his arm below the elbow.

"Losing my arm has been the biggest blessing of my life," he said. "So many things have happened in my life that would never have happened if I hadn't lost my arm."

Westover, who turned 44 Wednesday, started a non-profit for upper-extremities, a consulting company and began touring the country on speaking engagements.

In 2006, he said he was recruited through Facebook to try out at a training camp in Philadelphia for the U.S. National Amputee Soccer team after team members saw videos of Westover playing soccer.

"I went up to Philadelphia for three days to the training camp and dove around like a lunatic," he said. "And they liked me. They said, 'not only do we want you to play, we want you to start.'"

Westover now serves as the volunteer chairman and chief executive officer of the American Amputee Soccer Association and is a volunteer coach with NubAbility Athletics Foundation which mentors kids age 4 to 17 who have a limb difference.

Nick George, who works at Soccer Locker in Myrtle Beach, said he knows Westover's story because of his boss, Ansel Lovell, and said it's exciting for the sport in the area to have Westover on a national team. George has worked at Soccer Locker for two years, previously working in the surf shop that shares retail space just south of Myrtle Beach State Park.

He said traffic in the store and interest in soccer in Myrtle Beach seems to be "growing by the season."

This November will mark a return to the World Cup for the United States which hasn't had a team compete since 2002, Westover said.

To get there, each player is financing the journey individually because the team has no other funding.

Westover created a page on GoFundMe.com to raise money for the training trips and travel fees to the World Cup in November. One of the training camps will be in Myrtle BeachJune 13 -- 15.

On Wednesday, Westover had raised $1,005 of his $7,500 goal. To learn more or donate, visit www.gofundme.com/ericsruntothecup.

Contact AMANDA KELLEYat 626-0381, or follow her at Twitter.com/TSN_akelley.

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