Todd was a high school basketball player. A young man who loved the game. He thrived on competition. An elite athlete, who was anticipating his senior year and the dream of a basketball scholarship to a major university.

It was summer, August of 1979. A malfunctioning table saw suddenly turned Todd's dream into a nightmare. Todd's right hand was completely severed. As they attempted to stop the bleeding, and while looking at his arm with the missing hand, his only thought, "I'll never play basketball again." He couldn't imagine what lay ahead.

A Detroit hospital surgeon explained what the operation would entail. Thirteen hours later, the first successful reattachment of its kind was completed. Over the next four months, Todd would undergo 12 more operations to complete the reconstruction. It would require skin grafts, tendon grafts, vein grafts, nerve grafts, and joint replacement procedures. After 10 months, the doctor reported that the bone had healed. The cast was removed and Todd was encouraged to become active.

One year of inactivity would soon come to an end.

He jogged for a few weeks, but finally his enthusiasm was too much. It was time to play some hoops, with one functioning hand.

It felt great when he hit that first jump shot. Lefthanded. But, soon after, a blow to his right hand caused incredible pain and a realization that his game would never be the same - it was to go in a new direction. He knew he had to protect his permanently damaged hand - but how?

Todd's father, a design engineer at Ford Motor Company, worked with Todd's ideas and soon they were presented to his doctor. They were referred to the Detroit Rehabilitation Center. Three weeks later, they had built a brace from foam that enclosed and protected his hand. He was again enjoying the sport he loved. Todd played all summer and attended Wayne State University, since it was close to the hospital where he regularly attended physical therapy.

Wayne State, being in the heart of Detroit, was full of great basketball players. Todd played at the sports complex and soon his game was improving as he adapted to his brace. So well, that the head coach invited him to tryout for the Wayne State squad. After weeks of training, followed by rigorous tryouts, Todd's dream came true. He made the team. He played two years at Wayne State and transferred to Albion College to complete his college career. Todd, to this day, is a force on the court. A fierce competitor who loves the game.

Todd has gone on to design braces that allow him to weight lift, downhill ski, water ski, do home improvements, and ride a bike. Meeting these challenges inspired him to design the SmartVest.

He had used weighted vests in the past. Their poor designs didn't allow him and other athletes to effectively play with the vest on and engage in high intensity movement training.

His mission was to create a weighted vest unlike any other in the market. THE SMARTVEST.