Seven years ago I chose to have my leg amputated because I was confident that the technology in prosthetics could give me a much better shot at an active life than my deformed foot ever could. Now that I’ve entered the world of amputees, I’m seeing more and more people making the same decision. New ways to use metals and plastics creates constant upgrades to an amputee’s options.
Photo: Time Magazine
I’m always interested in amputee runners, since I’ve never known how to run. I chose not to ‘learn’ after I got my artificial leg, because of complications with my sound foot. But there’s something about those amazing Cheetah legs that captures my attention (The curved spring loaded legs that serious amputee runners use are called Cheetah legs).
An amputee runner named Oscar Pistorius made international news recently by qualifying to run at the World Athletic Championships – against all able bodied runners. It’s the first time an amputee has run a professional race against competitors who have two sound legs.
