The Active Amputee

Post by Aurélie Loaec ⎮ January 15, 2020 ⎮ Inform, inspire & engage

OHands-on travel advice for poeple with limb differences

"For the first time, in April 2015, I travelled far away from France. For years, I wanted to discover other cultures. So when I finished my studies I didn't hesitate and bought a flight ticket to Japan. Three amazing weeks! During these vacations in the country of the rising sun I caught the travel bug and I realised this passion was about to become a central part of my life." That's how Aurélie's amazing story started a few years ago. read more

Post by Bjoern Eser ⎮ January 12, 2020 ⎮ Inform, inspire & engage

One year on from the 888m climbing challenge

Wow, how time flies. It has been a year ago that I took on the 888m climbing challenge to raise funds for The Active Amputee. And what a year it has been. A year full of engagements with amazing amputees; a year in which the daily routine has regularly been pierced by memory-making moments out in the wild; a year full of challenges in relation to my work, my health and the way we live. And a year in which I was forced to step back from some of my commitments, take a break, recharge my batteries and refocus my priorities. Now - 12 months later - The Active Amputee is back in full swing. New articles are in the making, new cooperations are developing and new and exciting projects are being hatched. read more

Guest post by Crystal Chigbu  ⎮ January 08, 2020 ⎮ Inform, inspire & engage

Adressing sociual stigma and physical needs in Nigeira

Crystal's personal experience of raising a daughter with a missing tibia and knee cap inspired the set-up of The IREDE Foundation. The IREDE Foundation educates and creates awareness on amputation and limb loss among the general public, hoping to reduce stigmatisation to the barest minimum. They help people with limb loss and run a support group for amputees and their families. read more

Post by Bjoern Eser ⎮ January 1, 2020 ⎮ Inform, inspire & engage

Five Instagram accounts to follow in 2020

January 1, 2020. The first day of the new year. Well, actually the first day of the new decade. And thus a great day to kick off a new and exciting year for The Active Amputee. Today I would like to recommend five people to you whose Instagram accounts you should follow in 2020. And… drum roll please… the five people to watch are the following. read more

Post by Bjoern Eser ⎮ November 13, 2019 ⎮ Inform & engage

Prothesengemeinschaft - A new amputee community in Germany

As you all know I am great believer in the power of communities and in the value of connecting people - both locally and in person as well as globally through the world wide web. And so I was very excited when I recently discovered something new. Something I would like to bring to your attention. This something is a new community called Prothesengemeinschaft (which roughly translates into Community of Prostheses - a word play which works far better in German than it does in English. But I guess you get what it’s all about!). The core piece of this new community is an app and the shakers and makers behind it run a weekly podcast. read more

Guest post by Bjoern Eser ⎮ October 30, 2019 ⎮ Inspire

Five pictures and me: Andrew Gregory

In our series "Five Pictures and Me" people with amputation introduce themselves by sharing their favorite pictures with us. Today: Andrew Gregory - below knee amputee, pole dancer, artist, model and the gold medal winner at the recent International Pole Sports Federation world championships. read more

Post by Bjoern Eser ⎮ October 23, 2019 ⎮ Inform

Testing the OttoBock 3R80 Knee

Throwback to earlier this summer: After almost six years it was time to say goodbye to my old prosthetic knee and start thinking about a new one. With the lifespan of my old prosthesis slowly coming to an end I had the rare opportunity for a new - maybe waterproof - leg. An opportunity not to be missed. An opportunity to think about my needs as an active user, to get advice from a trusted prosthetist, to chat with other amputees and potentially try out different models to see what works best for me. read more

Guest post by Rebecca Legon ⎮ September 30, 2019 ⎮ Inspire

Attempting a new world record: Climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro

Mount Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest, and the world’s tallest, freestanding mountain. It is crowned with an everlasting snow-cap. The landscape is extreme with uneven, uphill terrain and an unpredictable weather system. It is not for the faint-hearted. Up to 50% of climbers suffer from altitude sickness. Climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, or “Kili” to those who have dared it, is an incredible achievement for the able-bodied. For Damian Harper and Rebecca Legon, this is a monstrously courageous challenge. But it is not the first that these two inspiring amputees have faced during their lives. read more

Guest post by Daicy Luo ⎮ September 25, 2019 ⎮ Engage

Your chance to inform future policy and practice

I am a great fan of evidence-based action. No matter if you are trying to influence policies affecting the lives of people with disabilities or if you want to push research and development efforts for better prosthetic equipment - it all depends on sound data and reliable information. So every once in a while I team up with researchers, academic institutions, campaigners and representatives from the industry and support their research initiatives to inform future policy and improve current practice. Today I would like to invite you to participate in the ‚Physical Activity and Adaptive Sports Equipment for Assessment in Quality of Life in Amputees’ research project by Daicy Luo. read more

Post by Bjoern Eser ⎮ September 22, 2019 ⎮ Inform

I owe you an apology

Mea culpa. The Active Amputee has been hibernating. It’s been ten weeks since the last article went live. That feels like a long long time in which this page has been dormant. Similarly my social media accounts have been rather unimpressive (read hardly any new postings and long delays in responding to your questions). And some of you asked me if The Active Amputee had closed it doors and fell silent for good. The answer is: No! The Active Amputee is still alive and kicking. So why the long silence? read more

Guest post by Caroline Mohr ⎮ July 03, 2019 ⎮ Inform & inspire

Five pictures and me: Caroline Mohr

In our series "Five Pictures and Me" people with amputation introduce themselves by sharing their favorite pictures with us. Today: Caroline Mohr - an amputee on a mission is to awake others to their true light of their soul. Caroline is a speaker, coach, former Golfpro, yogi, schoolsponsor in South Africa and so much more. read more

Post by Bjoern Eser ⎮ June 30, 2019 ⎮ Inform

The Active Amputee Podcast is available now

Finally! The Active Amputee Podcast is finally up and running. This new monthly show from amputees for amputees is now available on iTunes, Spotify and or where ever you listen to your favorite podcasts. The first three episodes are already available now while more are in the making and will be aired over the coming months. read more