BOARDMAN — Some people are able to stand up to challenges, but Kristin Fox was not about to let a challenge prevent her from standing up.

“I stood yesterday for the first time since March 9. It was amazing — like an adrenalin rush — and I’ll totally be able to be myself again,” said Fox, 39, of Poland.

Fox, who had her arms and legs amputated below the elbows and knees earlier this year, was referring to having stood Friday while at a Pittsburgh orthotics company to be fitted for prosthetic legs. She recently received specialized, high-tech prosthetic arms.

The feat also worked in reverse, because hundreds of children and adults stood up for Fox on Saturday by participating in or watching the first Kristin Fox Fight Like a Champion baseball and softball tournament at the Fields of Dreams sports complex, 410 McClurg Road, Boardman.

The weekend fundraiser event, which kicked off Aug. 15, continues today at the facility. Proceeds are to help Fox defray costs associated with buying a specially equipped vehicle she will be able to drive, paying for the prosthetic limbs and making her home wheelchair accessible, noted Lisa Saxon, one of Fox’s longtime friends.

Many people have been inspired by the Campbell Memorial High School assistant principal and longtime educator’s story because they admire her fighting spirit and positivity in handling adversity the last five months. Her ordeal began with a 100-day hospital stay and a life-threatening infection and illness that led to the amputations.

“I’m getting used to doing things differently,” Fox said while watching a game Saturday that included her son, Landon, 9. “I may have a bad moment, but not a bad day. I never want my kids to see me down for a full day.”

Fox wears a pair of myoelectric prosthetic arms that are controlled via electrical signals with a Biosim app, which allows her mind to communicate with nerve endings in the limbs. The result is an ability to place her hands in the proper positions to let her eat, pick up items, hold dumbbells for exercise and perform other functions, Fox explained.

The next major move will be in September at UPMC Medical Center in Pittsburgh, where Fox will receive three weeks of gait training for her prosthetic legs, accompanied by occupational and physical therapy. She will spend three hours daily strengthening her core muscles, Fox said.

She also continues to strengthen her resolve to reach other milestones, including returning to work in November and walking into her brother, Patrick Birch’s, first Boardman High School basketball game in December. Birch is the team’s head coach.

“I’m going to be a statistician,” Fox said with laughter.

Fox also praised her daughter, Laiken, 7, whom she called “a natural nurse,” for assisting her with day-to-day tasks such as bathing and dressing.

Landon, a Struthers Elementary School fourth-grader who played catcher in Saturday’s game, said he’s enjoyed family movie nights since his mother returned home in June. It also was thrilling to see her stand for the first time and be fitted for the prosthetic legs, he added.

“Her spirit and positivity are unbelievably high; she always has a positive outlook,” Saxon said. “Kristin has a knack for making everyone around her feel comfortable about her situation. The kids (in the softball tournament) follow her story. More wake up and want to be better kids, and they see what adversity is.”

Saxon also noted that more than 60 teams of players age 8 to 18 competed in this weekend’s tournament, which featured a pool play of 75-minute games Saturday, to be followed by a six-inning championship game today. More than 50 teams played last weekend, she added.

Struthers Mayor Catherine Cercone-Miller, another longtime friend, praised the community for its continued support of Fox. The baseball tournament featured 175 donated baskets for a raffle over the last two weekends, she noted.

“The generosity of this community has been unreal,” said Cercone-Miller, whose son, Bradley, 9, also played in the tournament Saturday and is one of Landon’s best friends.

Fox , who has normal ups and downs, also has received added inspiration from people such as former Pittsburgh Steelers and Ohio State University linebacker Ryan Shazier, who was placed on the NFL’s reserve / retired list. Shazier suffered a spinal injury during a game Dec. 4, 2017, against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Fox said she also wished to thank Dave Matz and Fred Mootz for organizing the tournament, along with her friend Jessica Wymer for running the event’s Chinese auction.

“I can’t thank the organizers enough,” she said. “This is a credit to the Mahoning Valley and the people who called and supported me. My crew of friends has been amazing, as has my family. I wouldn’t be in the physical and mental state I’m in without them.”