Craig Oster

In 1994, at the age of 30, Craig Oster was given the “death sentence” diagnosis of ALS, better known as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease.” Even though Craig’s physical functioning was slipping away, he successfully fought to fulfill his dream of earning a Ph.D. in clinical psychology at Michigan State University in 1996. ALS is a degenerative neuromuscular disease where the body slowly loses all muscle function until the person afflicted becomes completely muscularly paralyzed, yet is still able to see and hear. Failure of the respiratory muscles is usually the killer. Most people affected with ALS die within 3-5 years after receiving the diagnosis.

Dr. Craig Oster is still persevering 16 years later, even after losing 45 pounds of muscle in 2008 and entering hospice. Using his undeterred spirit, Craig held a vision of improving, was subsequently kicked out of hospice and today is riding a NuStep recumbent cross trainer at the highest level of 10 for 90 minutes. Craig lives each moment fully and is filled with a mission to continue to improve and to give millions who are suffering physically, mentally, or emotionally, the inspiration and hope that they thought was beyond their grasp.