Aimee Mullins - a true inspiration.

Aimee Mullins was born without fibulae in both legs. Her medical prognosis was bleak; she was to spend the rest of her life using a wheelchair. In an attempt for a chance at independent mobility, on her first birthday doctors amputated both her legs below the knee. By age two, it was evident that the decision had paid off as Aimee had learned to walk on prosthetic legs, and spent her childhood doing the usual activities alongside her "able-bodied" peers.
 

Graduating high school with honors and at the age of 17, Aimee was one of three students in the US chosen for a full academic scholarship from the Department of Defense. Aimee worked at the Pentagon in her summer breaks as an intelligence analyst.

It was during this time that Aimee rediscovered her love of competitive sports. While a dean's list student at the prestigious School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University, Aimee set her sights on making the US Team for the 1996 Atlanta Games. Aimee enlisted the expertise of one of the America's most respected track coaches Frank Gagliano and through this partnership, she became the first woman with a "disability" to compete in the NCAA, doing so on Georgetown's nationally-ranked Division I track team. Aimee was outfitted with carbon-fiber prostheses that were modeled after the hind legs of a cheetah and she went on to set World Records in the 100 meter, the 200 meter, and the long jump.

In 1999, Aimee made her runway debut in London at the invitation of one of the world's most celebrated fashion designers, Alexander McQueen. Walking alongside the supermodels of the world, Aimee's groundbreaking, triumphant turn captured the attention of the fashion media, propelling her onto the magazine covers of ID and Dazed and Confused. After making her mark in the fashion magazine standards of Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, W, Glamour, and Elle, she was also named as one of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People in the World."

http://www.ted.com/talks/aimee_mullins_the_opportunity_of_adversity.html

 

Week 10 of 14 Marathon Training for the Gold Coast Airport Marathon 2011. Weekly Vlog. Week 10 of 14.

Despite tearing my calf muscle last week, I was determined to stay positive and keep my cardio up with non-impact exercises. With plenty of sports massage, stretching, anti-inflammatory's and hours on a TENS machine, I was able to complete a 30k run on Saturday. I'm feeling positive and looking forward to next week's challenges'.