Prosthetics and Orthotics

During my career, I have been lucky enough to attend four Paralympic games my first one being in London 2012 which was a fantastic experience. I then went to the games in Rio and Tokyo and recently travelled to Paris to work at the 2024 Paralympic Games. It’s such a privilege to travel the world and work with these fantastic athletes.

The prosthetic/orthotic device is integral to the athlete’s performance alongside their talent and their drive. Elite athletes need high-end devices to enable them to compete at an elite level. The prosthetic and orthotic profession designs, fits, and repairs these devices.

We look after all the athletes, solving any issues that might arise with the prosthetic and orthotic devices the athletes are wearing in competition or for daily use.

I met one of the athletes when he was five months old and provided him with prostheses for many years, enabling him to walk. I was privileged to see him win a gold medal in London 2012 in 400m freestyle swimming.

The Paralympics is the pinnacle of achievement for some of the people we help and for us as Prosthetists and Orthotists, but it’s what we do every day, that enables people to reach their potential.

I was initially attracted to Orthotics as it was the perfect mix of health and engineering.

My career took me from England to New Zealand. I love sports and while in New Zealand I was a guide runner for blind athletes.

I went on to work for the Cerebral Palsy International Sports and Recreation Association. The goal is to promote grassroots sports in the cerebral palsy community, as well as provide a pathway in to the Paralympics for elite athletes.

I helped organise the CPISRA World Games, I worked on projects developing ‘new’ adaptive sports such as Frame Running, I participated in research projects and ran recreational camps for individuals and families to push the boundaries of their own expectations of their abilities.

My career has enabled me to present to groups in Denmark, Morocco, India, and Italy

I love to see individuals challenge their own expectations and push the boundaries of what they think is possible. Sport is such an important tool for mental and physical wellbeing, and helping promote opportunity and access to sport is extremely rewarding.