On Sunday 9th August Stef Reid swapped her running blade for a swim suit to compete as part of the BP team in the Para Tri event at Dorney Lake. As the sun shone and temperature rose the swim leg look like the best option and Stef got her team off to a great start with a fast swim. The BP team then powered home with a fast cycle and sprint to finish first in their wave.
running blades
Sophie Kamlish wins silver at Anniversary Games
Congratulations to Sophie Kamlish who won silver at the Anniversary Games on Sunday 26th June 15.
Sprinter Sophie Kamlish finished a superb second on her return to the former Olympic Stadium in London for the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games.
Sophie produced a strong performance to finish runner-up to World and European champion Marlou van Rhijn in the T44 100m in front of a large home crowd on Sunday.
Her time was 13.66, while van Rhijn set a new stadium record of 13.04.
Click to watch video of Sophie’s event
Well done Sophie from the Team at Proactive.
Stef Reid Breaks World Record
Confident and fast on her blade by Richard Nieveen at Proactive Prosthetics, Stef jumped to victory and a world record in the F44 Long Jump at the Diamond League meeting in Glasgow on 11th July 2014.
Well done Stef – we are very proud of you.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/disability-sport/28273040
Genium X3 Knee on the Water
Advanced waterproof bionic leg gets sailing champion back on the water
18 year old amputee is one of the first UK non-military recipients to be fitted with the world’s most advanced bionic leg from Ottobock to enable him to sail again
Laurence Greenough, an 18 year old from Plymouth who lost his leg in a sailing accident, has had his ability to get back on the water restored with the help of the world’s most advanced bionic leg developed by mobility experts Ottobock. The Genium X3, originally designed for military personnel, is the only completely waterproof microprocessor prosthetic knee and has a Bluetooth remote control to switch between sailing, walking, jogging and cycling modes.
Laurence was just 11 years old when he lost his leg in a tragic accident in the sea. Sailing with his family in Plymouth harbour, a routine capsize drill and subsequent incident with a safety boat went terribly wrong, the injuries Laurence sustained resulted in an above the knee amputation of his left leg. Only two months after the accident, Laurence was back on the water, choosing to use crutches to get around as there were no waterproof prosthetic legs on the market; using a normal prosthesis in the sea would cause it to corrode.
Carrying on with his sailing dream, he was honoured with the prestigious Raymarine Young Sailor of the Year award in 2008, following in the footsteps of past winners including Olympic Gold medallist Ben Ainslie OBE and world class yachtswoman Dame Ellen MacArthur.
As time went on, Laurence stopped sailing as the difficulties of sailing and doing other activities without a prosthetic leg became apparent. After two years on crutches he was referred to and fitted by Richard Nieveen of Proactive Prosthetics with a computer controlled prosthetic ‘C/Leg’ which provided him with improved mobility but could not be worn on deck due to the risk of water damage.
When Ottobock’s Genium X3 was released Lawrence was keen to find out more about the bionic leg which was designed for people who lead an adventurous lifestyle. He has just been fitted at the Proactive Prosthetics clinic in Surrey.
Laurence went out sailing for the very first time on his new waterproof leg on Tuesday 17th June along the south coast from Portsmouth Harbour on a 37 foot cruiser racing yacht with a team from Proactive Prosthetics.
Laurence states: “The first thing I planned to do was to take it sailing! It also has a ‘walk to run’ feature and bespoke running mode; I had not run since 2008 and it was the most exciting thing to be able to do it again. It makes walking feel so natural – I trust it and don’t have to use so much energy. I feel safe and can just relax and let the leg do all the work.”
The Genium X3 is the world’s most technologically advanced prosthetic leg and features activity modes that will allow Laurence to take part in everything his friends do: sailing, grass boarding, running and football in the park. The bionic technology can be programmed from a laptop and can be switched manually between different modes using bluetooth. Sensors, a gyroscope and in-built computer mean the Genium X3 can be programmed to perfectly match Laurence’s lifestyle.
Genium X3: Fast facts
- Designed in collaboration with the US military
- Virtually impenetrable by water, dust or dirt
- Uses the same motion sensor technology as Wii and smartphones
- Special modes via inbuilt computer for sports activities
- Natural walking pattern, wouldn’t know a user was wearing it
- Mute button so that it can be silenced for things like the cinema
- Battery life of 5 days before it needs recharging
Richard Nieveen, Laurence’s prosthetist at Proactive Prosthetics, explains: “The set up and fitting of Laurence’s new leg is tailored to get him back doing all of the things he enjoyed before his accident. We’ve also programmed a special sailing mode in the knee to allow him to move around the boat with ease – and of course he’ll be safe in the knowledge that he can get it wet without any problem”
Ottobock Genium X3 is Here!
In 2011 Proactive Prosthetics were the first clinic to fit the Genium knee and have since been acknowledged as the most experienced clinic in the private sector.
Proactive now lead the way with the new X3 Knee.
The patient Laurence suffered a traumatic amputation in a boating incident at the age of 11, the accident did not stop Laurence’s passion for sports and sailing and at the age of 14 Laurence was awarded the “Raymarine Young Sailor of the Year” one of the most prestigious trophies in the sailing world.
Proactive again will lead the way fitting Laurence with X3 knee, the prosthesis will function as an everyday activity limb but in being water proof and also allowing Laurence to run will effectively provide three prosthesis in one.
Note: The picture shows Laurence receiving the Raymarine Young Sailor of the Year award from Sir Robin Knox-Johnston at the London Boat show in January 2008.
For more information about the Genium X3 please call 01252 702500 or email clinic@proactiveprosthetics.co.uk.
Stef Reid Breaks World Paralympic Long Jump Record
Paralympic long jump silver medallist Stef Reid hopes her new world best can be the catalyst to a successful 2014 season.
The 29-year-old single leg amputee managed 5.45m at a meeting in Clermont, Florida last weekend, beating the previous T44 record by 2cm.
“I knew I could do it and I celebrated,” Reid told BBC Sport.
“But at the same time, this isn’t the end goal – there is still a lot more work I need to do.”
Stef, who was born in New Zealand to British parents and represented Canada at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics before declaring for Great Britain in 2010, had her right leg amputated below the knee following a boating accident when she was 16.
But after winning silver in the combined F42/44 category at the Olympic Stadium with a personal best of 5.28m, Reid had a nightmare last year, culminating in finishing last in her event at the IPC Athletics World Championships in Lyon. She believes she has turned the corner, however, with the help of coach Rana Reider.
“I knew I needed to change things after the Paralympics and I finally got sorted out by last May and had started working with Rana,” she explained.
“At the back of your mind you hope things will work out from the beginning but it takes time when you go to a new coach and I didn’t realise how bad things were going to get.
“I will never forget how terrible Lyon was and I never want to feel that again. It was so below what I was capable of doing, but meeting Rana has given me the tools to work with and it feels great.
“I’ve had to put my trust in Rana and his coaching methods but also had to be patient, which is tough for me because I’m incredibly impatient. But training has been going really well and I feel really strong and confident when I step out.”
Having not jumped over five metres in any competition last year, Reid jumped 5.16 at an event in Gainesville, Florida before her world record leap and for good measure she also ran a personal best of 13.80secs in the 100m.
She still harbours hopes of getting the 6.20m able-bodied qualifying standard for the Scotland Commonwealth Games team but admits that may be beyond her before the 10 June deadline.
Next up are the IPC Grand Prix meetings in Arizona, USA on 10 May and Nottwill, Switzerland on 18 May, as well the Diamond League meeting in Glasgow on 11 July.
However, her main focus for the year is the European Championships in Swansea from 18-23 August where she will face Lyon gold and silver medallists Iris Pruysen of the Netherlands and Frenchwoman Marie-Amelie Le Fur.
“I’m really lucky to have strong Euro rivals so the Europeans will be a big competition for me,” she said.
“As British athletes, we are so lucky to get some great opportunities to compete in front of a home crowd and I think this is the best country in the world to be a Paralympic athlete.
“I’m giving myself the best opportunities I can to get the Commonwealth Games distance and I think I will eventually do it but I don’t have too many competitions left.
“I like to make tough goals and I will keep going with that target in mind.”