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At the age of 14 I was involved in a road traffic accident in Belgium, which cause extensive injuries to my left leg.

After two years of operations I was told my leg was beyond repair, which ultimately led to an above knee amputation just prior to my 17th birthday. I was fitted with a prosthetic leg, but due to socket discomfort I struggled and didn’t walk for 4 years! It was at this point that I learnt about Osseointegration and became involved in an Osseointegration research programme and became the first female and youngest amputee in the world to have a pin inserted into my leg. It was at times an incredibly gruelling rehabilitation process and it takes a while to get used to putting weight onto your leg, but once I started wearing the C-Leg® I began to realise I wasn’t as limited as I thought. I’ve been wearing my current C-Leg® for about 8 years and it’s so comfortable I often forget that it is not my real leg.

Following the birth of my son, I decided it was time to give something back to other amputees, so I embarked on a gruelling 300km London to Paris bike ride challenge to raise money for LimbPower. Following this success and having a love for the gym I decided to complete an intensive training course and I am now a qualified Personal Trainer and Nutritional advisor. I am the only amputee in the world to have qualified to teach Les Mills Body Pump and Spin. My C-Leg® enables me to do squats, lunges and squat jumps. During 2011 I attended the Amputee Games as a participant and in 2012 I attended the event as a team Mentor, looking after a group of amputees showing them the ropes. Being available to answer any questions the amputees had was incredibly rewarding.

My goal is to work with amputees both new and existing to show all their potential and prove health and fitness is the road back to obtaining quality for life. I am currently helping a female above knee amputee train for a big event in 2014 and I find sharing my knowledge and experience extremely rewarding. I want to demonstrate to others that even though you have lost a limb it doesn’t inhibit you from physical activities. After amputation it is very important to utilise the muscles you have left as this will make everyday activities easier and therefore more enjoyable.

I am currently learning how to use the Genium Knee from Ottobock. Applying my knowledge of biomechanics I am able to utilise all of the incredible unique functions the Genium offers, including walking up stairs step over step. It is even possible to walk backwards safely. The better your proprioception, the sense of your body’s position in space, the better you will be able to manage your prosthesis, which will enable you to progress to higher activity and a more healthy and active lifestyle.