By Alex Taylor
Copyright bbc
Stef Reid grew up as a sports-obsessed child, dreaming of playing rugby internationally. But on the eve of her 16th birthday, her life changed forever.
Severe propeller lacerations from a horrific boat accident left doctors with no choice but to amputate her right foot.
Initially she continued to pursue rugby, but her agility and speed weren’t the same and she grew tired of comparing her performance to when she had both feet.
“I didn’t want to give up on my goal just because I was an amputee, but life is constantly changing and we have to update our goals instead of forcing them to work in a reality that no longer exists,” she says.
So she moved on from rugby and took up athletics. Using a light, springy carbon-fibre blade on her right leg, she eventually became a world champion Paralympic long jumper and sprinter for both Canada and Great Britain – winning medals, breaking records and receiving an MBE.
She’s now retired from professional sport, but has shown a similar adaptability and resilience in her new career which includes acting, modelling and broadcasting including competing in Dancing on Ice.
Now she’s campaigning for big brands such as Nike, Adidas and Puma to sell single shoes rather than pairs.
In part it’s about cost – high-end running shoes cost around £200, and when she was competing she only needed one but had to buy two, meaning she wasted hundreds of pounds on shoes she never wore.
