🌟 INSPIRING TOGETHER: Militair Revalidatiecentrum aardenburg + Mission I.A.M.
🤝 MISSION I.A.M. x Militair Revalidatiecentrum Aardenburg - another incredibly inspiring collaboration!
Mission I.A.M. is teaming up with the Militair Revalidatiecentrum (MRC) Aardenburg - the Dutch military rehabilitation centre that has spent decades helping veterans and amputees.
Different worlds, same way of working: MRC Aardenburg doesn't rebuild a life from behind a desk: it's hands-on, day in day out, get-people-moving-again work. Mission I.A.M. is building the next generation of high-performance bionic below-knee prostheses and we're not going to get there from a lab either, we go to deserts and mountain trails 🏜️⛰️.
💬 “If we want a prosthesis that can survive the Sahara, we have to build it with people who understand high-performance in extreme conditions. That’s why I’m so happy that from the start MRC Aardenburg shared the ambition to accomplish our goal and we’re now able to take a concrete next step together.” — Steven van Roon, founder Mission I.A.M.
🏃 And there's an athlete carrying that link: Rick Geurtsen 🤩. Rick joined Mission I.A.M. after his prosthetist pointed him our way — one conversation was all it took. In August, Rick joins us in Val d'Isère on the 24-hour MARATHON DES SABLES Crazy Loops event.
💬 "True growth begins where comfort ends. The Marathon des Sables is the ultimate challenge to put yourself to the test physically and mentally. Especially if you have a disability.
The challenge lies not only in reaching the finish line, but above all in discovering what you are capable of when conditions are extreme and perseverance makes the difference. Where the mental strain begins to outweigh the physical strain.
Developing a bionic prostheses to enable and empower the ones with a disability to experience this, that’s what makes me enthusiastic!”
Edwin de Wolf, Program Manager Sports Wounded, Injured, Sick, Ministry of Defence
This is how Mission I.A.M. works: real athletes, real terrain, and partners who've done the hard, unglamorous work of rehabilitation for years.
𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗜.𝗔.𝗠. - 𝗣𝘂𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀. 🔥
Rick: "A mission to build a bionic prosthesis that doesn't yet exist, so that a para-athlete can run the Marathon des Sables in 2030. That doesn't just sound incredibly ambitious - it is!
And that gets me genuinely excited. If I can contribute to that as well, even better.
Let's do this!"
Photo credit: personal collection Rick
Thank you, Rick, for taking on this challenge and marking a strong start to the partnership between Mission I.A.M. and the Military Rehabilitation Center.
The MDS Crazy Loops will take place from 21-23 August 2026 in Val d’Isère, France. To follow our adventure, keep an eye on this website.
Partnerships - pushing progress TOGETHER
You've just seen what's possible. Want to push boundaries with us too? Become a partner or sponsor. Check out our partnership page and/or contact Steven directly.