UPEI student team headed to global competition in Brazil with community support

A team of UPEI engineering students has developed an innovative device called LimbRise that could transform recovery for people with knee injuries. After advancing their venture from the classroom to regional and national competitions, Richard Hetherington and Noor Abdelhamid recently won the Enactus Canada Early-Stage Summer Sprint National Final, earning the opportunity to compete internationally at the 2026 Enactus World Cup in São Paulo, Brazil, this November. 

LimbRise is a hands-free knee crutch designed to reduce reliance on users’ arms and shoulders while allowing them to walk upright and maintain greater independence during recovery. The team has worked with physiotherapists, orthopedic professionals, and potential users as they continue to test and refine the device.

Hetherington and Abdelhamid are members of Enactus UPEI, a student-run branch of Enactus, a global organization that supports university students in addressing social and environmental challenges through entrepreneurship. Enactus UPEI is one of 79 Canadian university teams that spend the school year developing entrepreneurial projects designed to improve the economic, social, and environmental well-being of their communities.

They have also been supported through UPEI’s Catherine Callbeck Centre for Entrepreneurship, where they participated in entrepreneurship programming, received venture development support and mentorship, and accessed opportunities to test, develop, and pitch their business.

In addition to earning the opportunity to compete internationally at the Enactus World Cup, the team received the following awards over the past year:

• They placed first in the Innovative Design category at the 2026 Canadian Engineering Competition.
• They were named champion of the Desjardins Community Empowerment Challenge and first runner-up in the Innovation and Impact Challenge at the Enactus Canada Atlantic Regional Exposition in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
• They earned top honours in UPEI’s Harry W. MacLauchlan Entrepreneurship Program, receiving $27,000, the largest award ever presented through the competition, as well as recognition as the Most Innovative Venture.

“For a team developing a venture on PEI, the opportunity extends well beyond the competition itself. Participating internationally can create connections with business leaders, mentors, entrepreneurs, and potential investors while giving the team valuable feedback and exposure as they continue to develop LimbRise,” said Amy Andrews, manager of entrepreneurship at UPEI. “It is also an opportunity to showcase what UPEI students are capable of building when they have access to entrepreneurship programming, mentorship, funding, and opportunities to test their ideas beyond the classroom.”

Travel to the 2026 Enactus World Cup involves significant costs, including flights, accommodations, visas, and other expenses. Enactus UPEI has secured partial funding for the trip, but additional community support is required to help cover the remaining costs of sending Heatherington and Abdelhamid to represent Prince Edward Island on the international stage.

To help get the LimbRise team to the competition in São Paulo, supporters can contribute to the team’s travel campaign or share it with their network. 

For more information, visit LimbRise or contact Hetherington via email at rj@limbrise.com.