MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Improved prosthetics are helping Wisconsin veterans who lost limbs during tours in the Middle East maintain active lifestyles.

The Veterans Hospital in Madison works with several businesses to provide more durable prosthetics to local veterans who have lost limbs but not their sense of adventure. The hospital has seen 39 patients with leg or arm prostheses who are service-connected, including 11 who served in Iraq or Afghanistan, according to spokesman Tim Donovan.

Prosthetics have allowed B.J. Ganem and Jake Janes to regain mobility and be more active than they expected after their life-changing injuries.

Although Ganem lost a leg in Iraq when a truck he was driving struck a bomb, he continues to skydive, rock climb, play football and participate in races and other physical competitions. Janes still hunts, fishes and works on his family's farm even though he lost both of his legs below the knee when he stepped on a homemade bomb in Afghanistan.

"These guys break stuff left and right," said Amy Paulios, their prosthetist at Prosthetic Laboratories in Monona. "We try to help them keep going. It makes our job more challenging."

While many people only use artificial legs for routine walking, the two veterans often push limits with their prosthetics. Paulios has helped equip them with prostheses made of rust-resistant materials, fewer breakable parts and extra carbon fiber for durability.

"You have to have the foresight to think about what they might do with these devices," she said. "Sockets for these guys are twice as thick as for someone who is just going into Target and back."

Paulios, whose father is a Vietnam veteran, believes the military attitude is what drives Ganem and Janes to be as active as their prostheses allow.

"After the injury, I kind of became more active to prove a point," said Ganem, who took up winter sports, including snowboarding, bobsledding and ice climbing, after his accident.

The Georgia native also plays football and basketball. He has run in a 10K and plans to eventually participate in the Marine Corps and Boston marathons. Ganem said he would also like to try waterskiing.

"The only thing I can't do with my prosthetic is grow toenails," he said.

More than 1,500 U.S. soldiers have lost limbs in Iraq or Afghanistan since 2003, the Wisconsin State Journal reported.