Prosthetics in Athletics

Every 4 years the Olympics and Paralympics are hosted in a famous city around the world, however the Paralympics is always advertised less. These incredible athletes have been through so many struggles but have overcome so much to then reach an extremely high standard of athleticism.

The J-shape prosthetic leg is engineered for performance over aesthetics. The prosthetic mimics that of a real leg by compressing on impact, storing the kinetic energy until the next leap and it absorbs the stress from the movement that would have transferred from the foot to the top of the knee/leg.

This ingenious design gives these people a chance to feel like themselves again, to feel like normal. 

The design of the prosthetic in Athletics, has a man-made feature which connects to the main body. Two separate parts now feel like one and move in tandem. At the base, running spikes are added for grip, the same spikes you would find on running track shoes. The most common material to be used is Carbon Fibre, however both steel and plastic can also be used. 

The power of engineering and design has created a wonderful product that has helped thousands of people to continue to live their lives. I find this a very respectful piece of design which has been created to make the world a better and happier place.

I am sure that losing a limb is such a traumatic experience, a feeling I cannot even begin to imagine but if I were to go through something like this, I would have that small bit of hope that this product could bring a piece of joy back into my life.