Beneath the Halo

Before Crooked Halo was ever a brand, it was a lesson.

My life was headed in a different direction. I had plans, goals, and a future that seemed pretty predictable.

Then, in a matter of months, everything changed.

Four months before my train accident, one of my close friends passed away from an accidental gunshot. I was standing about five feet away when it happened. One second everything was good, and the next everything changed.

That moment stayed with me.

Not long after, I found myself drunk and waiting for a ride beside a moving train. For reasons I still can't fully explain, I tried to jump onto it.

My legs went underneath.

I was dragged nearly 100 yards.

I don't remember much after that. I've been told I gave first responders my information before the blood loss caught up with me and I lost consciousness.

When I woke up in the hospital, I was faced with a decision. The damage to my right leg was severe, and doctors told me amputation would give me the best chance at recovery.

I chose to have it removed.

A few days later, poor circulation caused another problem. The toes on my left foot began dying and had to be amputated as well.

Learning to walk again was difficult.

Learning to live again was harder.

For the first time in my life, I couldn't outrun my thoughts. I had time to sit with every mistake, every loss, every bad decision, and every question about who I was becoming.

The physical pain eventually faded.

The mental work didn't.

Looking back now, it's strange to think how quickly life can change. One second can separate who you were from who you're about to become.

By all accounts, I shouldn't be here.

But I am.

What felt like the end of my life became the beginning of it.

The years that followed were spent rebuilding. Not just physically, but mentally. I challenged myself in ways I never had before. I pushed harder, expected more from myself, and refused to let my circumstances define me.

That journey eventually led me into the boxing ring, where I became the first amputee awarded by the National Boxing Hall of Fame.

But the award wasn't the achievement.

The achievement was becoming someone I could respect.

Somewhere along the way, I realized life rarely moves in straight lines. People make mistakes. They get knocked down. They carry scars. Sometimes those scars are visible. Sometimes they aren't.

That's where Crooked Halo came from.

A crooked halo isn't about perfection.

It's about intention.

It's about doing your best to make the right choices, even after making the wrong ones. It's about accountability, resilience, growth, and understanding that broken things can still have purpose.

Crooked Halo isn't just a clothing brand.

It's a reminder.

A reminder that some of us earn our wings the hard way.

And looking back now, I can honestly say something I never thought I'd say:

The train accident saved my life.

— Eric Eckenberger