Journey of an Amputee: Overcoming Limitations and Pursuing Extra-ordinary Sports

Abstract

This qualitative study proposes to explore the journey of a 25-year-old amputee (Anshul Bansal), from his life before amputation to his life after prosthetic fitment. The study aims to investigate the effects of amputation on personal life, the journey of adapting to use of prosthetic limb, and finally the pursuit of sports with prosthetic limb. Data was collected through a semi-structured interview, and thematic analysis was used to identify key themes. The results suggest that the journey of adapting to prosthetic may be challenging and requires a lot of patience, time, and perseverance through multiple trials and errors. Prosthetic fitment can be a life-changing experience. When a person adapts well, prosthetic limb boosts confidence and may enables user to pursue sports like mountaineering and paragliding. The study highlights the importance of motivation, hunger to do more to unleash the real potential of one’s own self despite adversities.