TAA 023: Meet Hope Gordon, who crowdfunded the costs of her amputation Hope was suffering from Complex Regional Pain Syndrom for years when she decided to have her leg amputated. As an amputation was against the guidelines of the National Health System, she needed to cover the costs by herself. That's when she decided to launch a crowdfunding campaign. Five years later, Hope is a happy young woman living a life free from pain. She is a member of the British National Canoe Team and has her eyes o...
Jun 14, 2021•32 min•Season 1Ep. 23
TAA 022: The START Foundation - Empowering amputees in life through sports The START Foundation empowers amputees in life through sports, by providing grants to purchase sports prostheses or adaptive equipment to help people with a limb difference achieve their sporting dreams and live a rewarding, active, and fulfilled life. Learn more about the START Foundation, support their work, or apply for grants under https://www.startfoundation.org.au For more information, visit The Active Amputee . The...
May 14, 2021•36 min•Season 1Ep. 22
TAA 021: Recycle for mobility - ROMP's components for a cause initiative There is great inequality in the worldwide distribution of prosthetic components: The supply is worst in populations with the highest need. It’s tragic that so many components are oversupplied in higher-income countries while countless people in lower- and middle-income countries remain immobilized by the lack of components. The solution to improving supply doesn’t lie in catchy ‘appropriate technology for the poor’. Instea...
Apr 14, 2021•42 min•Season 1Ep. 21
TAA 020: Why it's cool to have an amputee dad Yes, there are times when I think that it just sucks being an above-knee amputee. Obviously. And often this feeling creeps up on me when I am around my kids. When I want to do things with them and have the feeling that my amputation sets unwanted limitations. When the fact that I have an artificial leg seems to dictate what I can and cannot do with them. And when the socket once again - as so often in the last 10 years - just doesn’t fit and is putti...
Mar 15, 2021•8 min•Season 1Ep. 20
TAA 019: My new hiking project Four seasons, four regions of Germany, four long distance hikes. This new project of mine has been in the making for long. Far too long actually, if you ask me. But it looks as if I can soon move from thinking about it to actually getting started with it. Finally. And more than a year behind schedule. Honestly, I can’t wait to get going. But wait a minute; what am I actually talking about? Well…. I am talking about a new walking project of mine. A project I have be...
Feb 28, 2021•14 min•Season 1Ep. 19
TAA 018: Pimp my prosthesis I guess most of you still remember the days when artificial limbs - generally speaking - were ugly. Designed for function, not for style. They were off the shelf models with a standard look. While many prosthetists offered some sort of cover or another, more often than not they tried to imitate the look of the remaining limb. And often, very often, it wasn‘t even a good imitation. But luckily the days of ugly artificial limbs are over. Especially 3-D printing was a br...
Feb 14, 2021•7 min•Season 1Ep. 18
TAA 017: Travel advice for people with a limb difference Traveling is great fun. But from my own experience I also know that traveling as a person with a limb difference can be scary. You are leaving an environment you know, an environment which often has been adapted to your needs and your level of mobility, an environment which is accessible. And instead you are heading for the unknown. That is why The Active Amputee kicks off the new year with a new service: Hands-on travel advice, making it ...
Feb 01, 2021•17 min•Season 1Ep. 17
TAA 016: Welcome back for another year of mind-boggling adventures Happy new year to you all. I hope you had a nice and peaceful Christmas break and a good start into the new year. I hope 2021 will be a good year for all of you. Today I would like to give you a quick overview of what I have been up to, what is on my list for the coming weeks, and where I would love to get you involved. So.... drum roll please! The music - as always - is Urbana-Metronica (wooh-yeah mix) by spinningmerkaba (c) cop...
Jan 17, 2021•10 min•Season 1Ep. 16
TAA 015: Christmas Special: Five amazing books about living with a limb difference In this special Christmas episode, we hear from five authors presenting their books about living a life with a limb difference. Books we talk about are: Kendra Herber : Whole: A Leg up on Life - Buy her book here . Linda K. Olson : Gone: A Memoir of Love, Body, and Taking back my Life - Buy her book here . Marsha T. Danzig : Yoga for Amputees and Back from the Roots - Buy her Yoga for Amputees book here . And her ...
Dec 14, 2020•26 min•Season 1Ep. 15
TAA #014: Kayaking as an amputee While water sports are generally great fun, they are especially well suited for lower limb amputees: They offer the added advantage of the water carrying most of our weight. An advantage not to be underestimated for many amputees. Swimming, snorkeling, diving, kayaking, surfing - no matter which one of these activities you fancy, they are all great fun and well worth a try. Even more so as they often allow you a completely new perspective on this beautiful planet...
Nov 30, 2020•13 min•Season 1Ep. 14
TAA #013: Meet Adenike Oyetunde from Lagos/Nigeria Adenike Oyetunde is a lawyer and radio presenter from Nigeria‘s economic and cultural powerhouse Lagos. She lost one of her legs due to bone cancer when she was in her early twenties. Adenike, always full of ideas, founded Amputees United , an initiative to assist cancer patients and amputees. "I want to help them wade through the storm, because honestly, I went through this, that I may help them on their journey. We at the Amputees United Initi...
Nov 14, 2020•38 min•Season 1Ep. 13
TAA #012: Meet Emelie Stroemshed from Anatomic Studios The age of the off-the-shelf look for artificial limbs is slowly coming to an end. With significant advancements in 3D printing technology in recent years a number of companies are now offering stylish prosthetic covers. Emelie from Anatomic Studios in Malmö/Sweden tells us more about the company and their approach to assisting amputees to find their personal style through stunning prosthetic covers. The music - as always - is Urbana-Metroni...
Oct 31, 2020•41 min•Season 1Ep. 12
TAA #011: Michael-Robbert Brans: Don't hide your obstacles Michael-Robbert Brans is an accomplished adaptive athlete, world record holder, public speaker, and OCR runner. In recent years he set out to encourage others to be open about their obstacles and struggles. “I have conquered many things in my life, including invisible things that ultimately turned out to be the biggest obstacles in my life, and no one really knows about them. I would like to tell you to not hide your obstacles. Share you...
Oct 01, 2020•32 min•Season 1Ep. 11
TAA #010: Walking - The ideal entry-level activity for amputees Fellow lower-limb amputees often ask me how they can increase their activity level. And if you ask me, I think walking is one of the best entry-level activities any lower-limb amputee can get into. For a variety of reasons. In this episode, I share some tips and tricks about how to get started. Nothing spectacular or out of the ordinary, just some ideas to identify an entry point for a more active lifestyle. I talk about the benefit...
Aug 31, 2020•16 min•Season 1Ep. 10
TAA #009: Paradox Sports - Making climbing accessible for people with disabilities Paradox Sports offers accessible climbing experiences for people with disabilities, defying the perception that people with a disability cannot lead a life of adventure. Challenges include both indoor and outdoor rock climbing, ice climbing, and mountaineering. Paradox Sport is passionate about engaging everyone in climbing and the climbing community because the community is what keeps people coming back. To learn...
Aug 01, 2020•31 min•Season 1Ep. 9
TAA #008: Making informed decisions as an amputee Here is a simple guide to making informed decisions as a person affected by limbloss. Most above-knee amputees know this problem: Finding the right prosthetic knee is not an easy task. For most of us, it means working out the right compromise between our day-to-day needs, our spare time interests, and our ambitions for the next couple of years on the one hand and our health insurance plan or financial means on the other hand. This in itself is al...
Jun 30, 2020•12 min•Season 1Ep. 8
TAA #007: Meet Josh Senior, an adaptive adventure athlete from the UK Following a life-changing accident in 2010 resulting in a spinal cord injury and the amputation of his right leg below the knee, Josh has been coming back strongly. Since the very beginning, his aim has been to be rehabbing until he reaches a stage where Josh can do everything he was able to do prior to his injuries. "My goal is to make myself a better, and more capable version of myself every day." Listen to the full intervie...
Jun 01, 2020•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 7
TAA #006: Malvika Iyer: From bomb blast survivor to disability rights activist During a recent visit to India, a friend of mine mentioned Malvika Iyer. A bomb blast survivor in her teens, Malvika is now a well-known motivational speaker and disability rights activist. He offered to introduce me to her and shortly afterward I had the pleasure to get to know her during a phone interview. Right from the moment our Skype connection was live, I felt that Malvika is someone with an immense spirit and ...
May 10, 2020•19 min•Season 1Ep. 6
TAA #005: Announcement - The Active Amputee is back After a longer break The Active Amputee is now back - both on the blog as well as with the podcast. From next Monday onwards I am back to my regular publishing schedule. One to two articles per week on the blog. One new episode for the podcast. And I start with the story of Malvika Iyer, a bomb-blast survivor from India and award-winning disability rights activist. The music - as always - is Urbana-Metronica (wooh-yeah mix) by spinningmerkaba (...
May 08, 2020•3 min•Season 1Ep. 5
TAA #004: Climbing as an above knee amputee Climbing is an amazing sport. Full stop. No matter if you are into bouldering or top-roped routes at a local climbing wall, prefer pre-bolted sport routes outdoors or love the thrill of proper multi-pitch trad climbing or a deep-water solo, the sport has something for everybody. And I mean everybody, no matter if you are able-bodied (what ever that is) or not. Here is a simple guide: Ten easy steps to get into paraclimbing. It’s aimed at lover limb amp...
Jul 24, 2019•13 min•Season 1Ep. 4
TAA #003: The journey to losing my leg by Bjoern Eser (part 3) In this final part of our mini-series, Bjoern talks about his amputation, how it was important for him to make all the key decisions based on his idea of how he wanted to live his life and how the loss of a limb pathed the way to a new life bursting with amazing opportunities. The music - as always - is Urbana-Metronica (wooh-yeah mix) by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. ...
Jun 20, 2019•15 min•Season 1Ep. 3
TAA #002: The journey to losing my leg by Bjoern Eser (part 2) In this second part of our mini-series, Bjoern shares his story of becoming an amputee. This episode focuses on his recovery after the chemotherapy, how he started to gain confidence in his body again until new leg-related trouble was brewing again. The music - as always - is Urbana-Metronica (wooh-yeah mix) by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/file...
Jun 20, 2019•17 min•Season 1Ep. 2
TAA #001: The journey to losing my leg by Bjoern Eser (part 1) In this first part of our mini-series, Bjoern shares his story of becoming an amputee. This episode covers his cancer year, from the initial diagnose through the chemotherapy to being discharged from hospital. The music - as always - is Urbana-Metronica (wooh-yeah mix) by spinningmerkaba (c) copyright 2011 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/jlbrock44/33345 Ft: Morusque, Jeris, C...
Jun 20, 2019•11 min•Season 1Ep. 1
