"The One-Legged Kiteboard Chick" - Frances Osorio

Frances Osorio Rivera is many things. In the mosh-pit of life, she’s one of those people right smack dab in the middle of it. Screaming, yelling, laughing her ass off—and making sure you do too. She will not take one ounce of crap from anyone. Ever. And I would advise against crossing her—she’ll cut ya. Ha! Only kidding. Mostly.

Frances is positive and determined. When you first meet her, you can see a depth in her eyes that suggest she can do absolutely whatever she puts her mind to. She is strong in every sense of the word. Being that she’s a veteran of the United States Army, you may expect that from her. Her Puerto Rican heritage also has a lot to do with who Frances is. She’s passionate and fiery, yet compassionate and soulful. With a big dash of family-first.

Frances is an athlete for Vetscape.org, and as a PASA (Professional Air Sports Association) Level 3 kiteboarding instructor, she has enjoyed giving many kiteboarding lessons to her fellow veterans. Vetscape’s mission: “Empowering veterans to find their next mission in life.” She is also active with ChallengedAthletes.org, under “Operation Rebound”.

“CAF’s Operation Rebound® program strengthens the mental and physical well-being of veterans, military personnel and first responders with permanent physical injuries by providing them opportunities to use sports and fitness to re-integrate into our communities and by empowering them through sports.

Through Operation Rebound specific grant requests and sports clinics, CAF is there to support our service members from Frontline to Finishline.”

When you click on the donation links below, please know that you will be directly helping those who have given it their all in the name of service to our country.

• Vetscape
• Operation Rebound

When asked about her greatest joy, Frances will quickly tell you that she loves seeing a fellow veteran deal with, and overcome the challenges of service and sacrifice, and the trauma that often goes with that. She shares a common bond with the men and women that she has served with. Whether she knows them personally or not, she is committed to helping. Kiteboarding has become the vehicle through which Frances has chosen to offer that help. As you may already know, kiteboarding is an amazing sport/lifestyle that can be a highly uplifting force in your life. You’re flying across the water, jumping high in the air, slashing waves and smiling big. Clearly, it has helped Frances to overcome some of her own challenges along the way.

She’ll tell you to take it day by day. She’ll tell you that you can accomplish anything. Sometimes she feels frustrated and emotional. Some days are full of tears. Many days are full of falls. Sometimes she asks, or more likely screams, “why me?!”

Frances is a left-leg amputee, an Army veteran, and a kick-ass human being. She is dedicated to kiteboarding and to helping others to get involved. As her video implies, she is “The One-Legged Kiteboard Chick”. But we all know she is so much more.