The Active Amputee - English Edition

TAA 033: Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month Special - Did you know that... April is Limb Loss and Limb Difference Awareness Month. In its eleventh year, this month is a fixed feature in our calendars. A month to celebrate the limb loss and limb difference community, tell the world more about us, further work towards real inclusion and increased participation, and be proud of how far we...

TAA 032: Meet Nate Denofre, a double amputee who canoed the length of the Mississippi Nate is a double amputee from Michigan. In 2020, just when the Covid19 pandemic put an end to many adventures all around the globe he canoed the length of the Mississippi River, source to sea. "You cannot prepare for such a trip. o you learn while you are already on the water!" Listen to his story, lear...

TAA 031: Meet Lasse Madsen from the sports tech startup Levitate Today I talk with Lasse W. Madsen,  the CEO and Co-founder of the sports tech startup Levitate. Lasse is an amputated runner himself and his mission is to give people with disabilities simple access to affordable sports equipment they need to live an active life. His company Levitate produces running blades that amputees can install...

TAA 030: Lifehacks for a good fit of your socket Most amputees know that the key to an active lifestyle is a well-fitting socket. Most amputees also know that the process to get a well-fitting socket can be long, tedious, and often frustrating. And to make things even more complicated, even if you manage to bring this process to a successful end - read: If you have a socket that feels good, is com...

TAA 029: Meet Enock Glidden: Developing  a can-do attitude and achieving your goals Today I am talking with the always amazing Enock Glidden. Born with Spina Bifida, Enock is no one to shy away from a challenge. This lead him to climb big wall mountains volunteer as an ambassador for Paradox Sports, and make outdoor activities more accessible through his collaboration with Maine Trail Finder. Watc...

For more information, visit The Active Amputee . 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, CSoul, Alex Beroza To learn more about The Active Amputee, check out the following links The Active Amputee Blog The Active A...

TAA 027: Hiking in the Himalayas After a week in Kathmandu, mostly in meetings and with little to no exercise, I decided to use my day off to walk up to Shivapuri Peak, a few kilometers north of Nepal’s capital. With 2,725 meters the peak offers amazing views over the Kathmandu valley and - if you are lucky and you have a clear day - over the Langtang mountains, a range of 6,000 and 7,000 meters p...

TAA 026: Four seasons - four regions - four hikes as an amputee Here is an update on a project of mine that has been in the making for long. Far too long actually, if you ask me. I am talking about this year's walking project. A project I have been playing around with for some time. A project I have been changing over and over again until it finally felt right. A project that might take up to...

TAA 025: Review of the 3R80 from OttoBock Looking through my analytics from the blog I noticed that a review I did of OttoBock's 3R80 some time back still attracts loads of interest from the audience. So I thought I re-publish this article as a podcast, make it easier to find, and thus bring it back to people's attention. For more information, visit The Active Amputee . The music - as al...

TAA 024: Meet Josephine Bridges, the chair and trustee of Positive Bones Josephine just completed the three peaks challenge - that is summitting the three highest peaks in England, Wales, and Scotland - to raise money for her charity Positive Bones. She tells us about this adventure, the motivation that drove her to set up her own charity, and other issues of the wider limb difference community. T...

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...

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...

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 compo...

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 wit...

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...

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 goo...

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...

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.... dru...

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....

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 w...

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, beca...

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 fin...

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...

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 ordina...

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...