Barry

In September 1991, I suffered a traumatic injury to my lower limbs. My right leg was amputated just below the knee and my left leg was broken both above and below the knee. Common practice at the time encouraged keeping as much of the limb as possible and, as a result of this decision, I was left with my right knee and a stump of roughly 5 cm in length. The bottom of my stump is made up almost entirely of grafted tissue. Throughout my post-accident life, this has resulted in many challenges around skin breakdown, which would often lead to me being unable to always use a prosthesis.

I began working with Jesse Spellen around 15 years ago (not sure of the timing), and he has always pushed and encouraged me to try new and different technologies. He definitely thinks outside of the box. Around 7 years ago, he suggested we try a bent-knee prosthesis. It was the first time he had tried to build one, but build it he did. Though it was slow going at first, Jesse's persistence has paid off for me, as the bent-knee prosthesis has been a game-changer for how I live my life. I have been able to build-up to running around 10 km. I have also been able to bike up to 60 km in a day. Losing my leg has not hampered my ability to actively participate in my life. If anything, I am more active now than I ever have been. Five years ago, I discovered wheel-chair sports for the first time. I began to play wheelchair tennis and as I had played tennis prior to my accident, I quickly adapted to my new sport. I have competed around the world, including representing my country at a World Team Cup qualification event in February of this year. I look forward to continuing my relationship with Jesse as he pushes me to go harder, stronger and faster.