Soldier Runs With President, a Year After Losing Legs

WASHINGTON, June 27, 2006 — -- The threat of rain clouds overhead would not stop Staff Sgt. Christian Bagge from going for a run with President Bush at the White House this afternoon.

And a few puddles on the South Lawn track were no obstacle compared to the challenges Bagge has faced in the 12 months since he lost his legs in Iraq.

Bagge, a 24-year-old Army soldier from Eugene, Ore., was injured by a roadside improvised explosive device on June 3, 2005, just south of Kirkuk.

The soldier was in a convoy of three Humvees checking the road for explosives -- the first vehicle was hit by a bomb and when Bagge's vehicle pulled up to provide security, a second bomb went off on his side just as he stepped out of the vehicle.

Bagge had both legs amputated -- one below the knee and the other just above the knee. He spent months in rehab learning to walk and promised himself he would run again. First, he had to learn to walk on two prosthetic legs.

It was during his rehabilitation at Brooke Army Medical Center that Bagge met President Bush.

On Jan. 1, 2006, the two hit it off and talked about running. Bagge asked the president if they could go running together some time in the future.

"It's an amazing sight for me to be running with a guy who last time I saw him was in bed, wondering whether or not ... I was wondering whether or not he would ever get out of bed," Bush said today. "And there was no doubt in his mind that he would."

Bush said today that after a lot of hard work and compassionate care, Bagge was able to come to the White House and give him a workout.

"[H]e ran the president into the ground, I might add," Bush said with a smile.

Bagge said later that he had a lot of fun with the president and enjoyed the run.

This was a rare outing in running shoes for President Bush, who sticks to bike riding for his exercise these days. Bush used to run several days a week, but a knee injury forced him to give it up.

After stopping to talk to reporters, Bush asked them to get out of his and Bagge's way -- they had more running to do.