The Active Amputee

Guest post by Yoav Gaon⎮ August 16, 2017 ⎮ Engage

Discover yoocan, an empowerment site for people with disabilities

When Erez Gaon was born with a rare disease and complex cognitive and physical disabilities, the family felt initially overwhelmed and lost. They began an emotionally challenging journey that brought the family closer together as they developed their very own ways of dealing with each and every day anew. Motivated by his very personal experiences Erez‘ father Yoav co-founded yoocan, a site to empower people with disabilities. Over the years yoocan has grown into one of the leading resource pages providing a wide rage of information and allowing people with disabilities to share their stories. read more

Post by Bjoern Eser⎮ August 9, 2017 ⎮ Inform

In a kayak, being an above-the-knee amputee is not an issue

Summer is here. And with it endless opportunities for being active in the water. Water sports are generally great fun and they are well suited for lower limb amputees as they offer the added advantage of the water carrying most of our weight. Swimming, snorkeling, diving, kayaking, surfing - all of these activities are great fun and well worth a try. Even more so as they often allow you a completely new perspective on this beautiful planet of ours. There is a whole new world often just a few feet below the surface of the ocean. Feeling the force of a wave carrying you back to shore is a humbling experience. And any coast looks completely different when seen from a kayak. read more

Guest post by Anoushe Husain⎮ August 2, 2017 ⎮ Inspire

Awkward situations are part of the game, but discrimination is a different matter

Anoushe Husain was born missing her right arm below the elbow, is living with multiple health conditions, is a cancer survivor, a Muslim and coming from an ethnic minority. She has never let what society or culture thinks she should do limit her or dictate the direction of her life. She is constantly breaking the mould and challenging not only her own beliefs about her own potential but also that of society and her own culture. In her last post we got to know her and her story. Today she tells us about how one instance of discrimination impacted on her life. read more

Guest post by James Rudge⎮ July 26, 2017 ⎮ Inspire

Know your body and you will do incredible things

James Rudge was born without the lower part of one of his arms. As that was all he ever knew, James wouldn't allow himself to be deterred by any tasks that someone with two hands might achieve. So becoming a Parkour athlete and taking up rock climbing seemed only natural. read more

Guest post by Fay Keegan ⎮ July 19, 2017 ⎮ Inspire

Tough choices are needed for a new beginning

Fay Keegan was only eleven years old when she was involved in a train accident that crushed her foot. After more than four decades in which she battled feelings of denial, anger, grief and loss, Fay decided to say goodbye to her foot and start anew. read more

Post by Bjoern Eser ⎮ July 15, 2017 ⎮ Engage

Summer events for amputees

No more excuses not to be active as an amputee. There are plenty of opportunities for amputees to be active, to get involved and try out something new this summer. Besides the big events for professionals, there are more and more taster sessions for amputees offering a safe and encouraging environment to have a go at a new activity. read more

Guest post by Michael Robbert Brans ⎮ July 12, 2017 ⎮ Inspire

Michael Robberts takes on his next big challenge: Unbreakable

Michael Robbert's live has been full of challenges. Some of them thrown at hm, others sought out by him. He faced cancer three times and had his right leg amputated as a result. He has been part of the Dutch ,Ninja Warrior‘ TV show, is passionate about crossfit and obstacle running. „For those who are unaware of obstacle running; it involves persuading a bunch of idiots to crawl through mud and clammer over obstacles on their day off. Yep, I am one of those idiots, the one legged version“, Michael Robbert adds smilingly. His latest venture was taking part i Unbreakable, a 12 hours challenge designed by a group of dutch ex special forces. read more

Post by Bjoern Eser ⎮ July 05, 2017 ⎮ Inform

My prosthesis - My individual fashion statement

Summer is here. And with it the time for shorts - and for showing off your prosthesis. Only a few years ago, most artificial limbs looked pretty dull. But 3-D printing and entrepreneurs with a fresh approach became a game changer. Suddenly your prosthesis can be an individual fashion statement. read more

Guest post by Tony Memmel ⎮ June 28, 2017 ⎮ Inform

Tony Memmel, the one-armed guitar player

Though he was born without a left forearm and hand, Tony Memmel taught himself to play the guitar by building a homemade cast out of duct tape that secures a guitar pick to his arm, and allows him to pluck and strum the strings. The singer-songwriter is also a n ambassador for The Lucky Fin Project, inspiring others with limb differences to live a fulfilled live and develop their potential. read more

Guest post by Joanna Waterton ⎮ June 21, 2017 ⎮ Inform

Amputee pregnancy

Joanna lost her left foot and part of her left leg after being caught in an avalanche in summer of 2005. Her recovery was long and not without challenges. In May 2008 she gives birth to her first son. The pregnancy was not always easy, but it was manageable. And that is all that counted, says Joanna. read more

Guest post by Angelina Emily Boulicault ⎮ June 14, 2017 ⎮ Inspire

Mountain hiking as an amputee

For many amputees walking on even ground and without anything to carry can be challenging. Now add the weight of a pack, varying elevations and uneven terrain and you have a completely different ballgame. Angelina took on the challenge of hiking in the mountains.Her post talks about how to get outdoors and experience beautiful places off the beaten track even as an amputee. read more

Guest post by Liam Twomey ⎮ June 07, 2017 ⎮ Inspire

The dream of becoming a Paralympian

Liam from Melbourne lost his leg to bone cancer aged seven. For most of his young life, he found it very difficult to come to terms with his fate. During his teenage years Liam struggled with drug abuse and self hate. He hit rock-bottom before fully embracing who he is. With the support of people who believe in him, Liam has now set his eyes on becoming part of the Australian Paralympic team. read more

Guest post by Anoushé Husain ⎮ June 01, 2017 ⎮ Inspire

"What matters is how I choose to live my life."

Anoushé was born missing her right arm below the elbow, is living with multiple health conditions, is a cancer survivor, a Muslim and coming from an ethnic minority. She has never let what society or culture thinks she should do limit her or dictate the direction of her life. She is constantly breaking the mould and challenging not only her own beliefs about her own potential but also that of society and her own culture. Anoushé will contribute a series of articles over the coming months. Here is the first part of the series. read more