"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."
"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. But her biggest motivation - is the principle. Many of the big brands proudly display models with blades in their shop windows, but don't sell shoes individually for athletes like Stef."
Stef Reid grew up sports-obsessed and dreamed of playing rugby internationally. A horrific boat accident on the eve of her 16th birthday caused severe propeller lacerations that led doctors to amputate her right foot. She initially continued rugby but found reduced agility and speed and grew tired of comparing her performance to when she had both feet. She switched to athletics and used a carbon-fibre blade to become a Paralympic long-jump and sprint world champion for Canada and Great Britain, earning medals, records and an MBE. In retirement she pursued acting, modelling and broadcasting, and now campaigns for brands to sell single shoes for amputees.
Read at www.bbc.com
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