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Episode 88 | FROM SETBACK TO SOLUTION: Resilience, Innovation & the Story Behind XLEG
What happens when one of the hardest chapters of your life becomes the beginning of something you never imagined?
In Episode 88 of The PhD Journey Unplugged, Dr. Sarah Gordon sits down with Reid Robinson, Founder and Inventor of XLEG, for a powerful conversation about resilience, recovery, innovation, and finding purpose through adversity.
After a devastating accident, Reid endured 13 surgeries over approximately two and a half years. During his own recovery, frustration with traditional crutches led him to recognize a problem: he didn't need something to support his entire body—he needed something to support his injured leg. That realization eventually became XLEG. But this episode is about much more than an invention.
Reid shares the grit it took to keep moving forward, the process of teaching himself new skills and building his first prototype, the challenges of entrepreneurship, and the meaning he has found in hearing how XLEG has helped others regain mobility and participate in important moments in their lives. Along the way, our conversation explores grit, purpose, self-belief, growth, and longevity—and the possibility that some of our greatest challenges can ultimately shape who we become.
As Reid reflects:
"Have faith in yourself because you’re tougher than you think.”
And when I ask my signature question, “What are we training for?”, his answer brings the journey full circle:
"I’m training for the next day. I’m training for my health—my health and longevity.”This is a story of resilience built on grit, purpose, longevity, self-belief, and growth.
Episode 88: FROM SETBACK TO SOLUTION — Resilience, Innovation & the Story Behind XLEGA
A Conversation with Reid Robinson, Founder & Inventor of XLEG
The PhD Journey Unplugged
One voice. One story. One episode at a time.
Thank you, Reid Robinson, for your time on The PhD Journey Unplugged podcast.
In Gratitude, Dr. Sarah Gordon
Founder
Disclaimer: All information shared on The PhD Journey Unplugged podcast is for general informational purposes only and should not be deemed as professional advice.
