I was born with a congenital disability called Femoral Dysplasia of the left leg, also known as Proximal Femoral Focal Deficiency (PFFD) or as Congenital Femoral Deficiency (CFD) - a rare, non-hereditary birth defect that affects the pelvis, particularly the hip bone, and the proximal femur. The disorder may affect one side or both, with the hip being deformed and the leg being shortened, as well as a floating hip and scoliosis of the spine.
Yes, I took longer to learn how to do things my able-bodied peers took for granted such as crawling and walking, something I initially did with the aid of an artificial leg that was fixed at the knee, using a Zimmer frame for support. Fast forward to my teenage years and I really struggled to accept my disability. So much so that in the warmer months I wouldn’t wear shorts to high school, even though I wore shorts in PE.
It wasn’t until it dawned on me that the only person this was affecting was me, so something had to change. One thing that never changed, was my ability to find my own way of overcoming things. I believe it is this mindset that set me up to win in later life and go on to represent my country at four World Championships, two Paralympics and many others.
GET IN TOUCH
