Double trouble: Juttima's story

Getting back on track can be double the challenge when you’re a recent double amputee. Just ask Juttima from Australia.

Her journey
A matter of balance

But as she quickly learned, missing both legs represents a significant challenge.

“The biggest challenge for me as a double amputee getting used to my blades is balance. It takes more effort for me to not fall backwards or forwards. Just trying to balance on the blades alone takes a lot of energy for me, and my legs fatigue really fast and cramp up. So I need to take multiple rests. And because I don’t have my own leg to take off the pressure/workload, it’s very challenging for me to exercise for a long period of time.”

In the future, Juttima hopes to find the courage to move her training outdoors. Something that she’s been missing since her amputations.

“I’m not very sporty in general and at the moment I only feel comfortable exercising indoors. I have been spending a lot of time inside, so my goals for physical activity would be getting over the fear of exercising outside. I want to push myself more to go for a walk outside – along the beach or at the park. I want to be in the sun and get more fresh air. I also want to improve my endurance, cardio and leg strength. To be able to walk and stand for a longer period of time without taking rests and getting cramps.”

However, it’s not people’s reactions to her running blades that stop her from venturing outside:

“People think it’s super cool – especially those who have seen me from day one when I first started learning to walk again. They are keen to know if it is hard to use and how I feel on the blades. They are just very intrigued, I guess.”