I love living in New Zealand and I have just had the best ‘Amputee’s Summer’ holiday ever – if there is such a thing? Of course there is, right?
Why? Because, I have been fortunate enough to do everything I enjoy and best of all, I did it with my family and I had no problems with my prosthetic limb at any time. Apart from the usual sweat and ingrown hair of course!
My life has always been full of outdoors activities and adventures. It’s just part of my DNA. Good luck trying to keep me away from the outdoors when the sun is shining, or cloudy for that matter, every spare moment I am drawn to do something outdoors.
So, what made this amputee’s summer so special?
In early December, I managed to get some time in the garden and man was it needed! A busy spring meant that the vege patch didn’t get the ‘Spring Clean’ it so desperately needed.
I actually like gardening, it connects me with nature in my own backyard. However, gardening presents some challenges for lower limb amputees and their footshell’s – namely dirt getting into the footshell, feet/carbon mechanics and componentry.
Not to worry though, with the Pro Armour Lite (PAL), which I put on in the morning and don’t take off all day, I didn’t have to worry about dirt getting into the foot shell. The PAL keeps it completely protected.
The amputee’s summer adventures continued later in December, on the 20th as my family and I headed off to explore some remote West Coast beaches in the South Island. PAL works brilliantly in sandals and shoes so you don’t have any issues with sand or dust getting in the foot shell when you head outdoors. My PAL has given me the confidence and freedom to do more in non-prosthetic friendly environments.
A couple of days later on the 22nd of December, we headed off to Castle Hill and then to the Mokihinui River for a hike and again my foot shell was protected from these harsh environments. These spectacular places are ideal locations for hiking and exploring the great outdoors! We are just so lucky to have places like these to go to in New Zealand.
Whether you are into hiking, tramping or mountain biking, I thoroughly recommend the Old Ghost Road track near Mokihinui, it is quite simply – stunning! And with a PAL, if you are an amputee, you will not have to worry about sand, dirt, dust in your foot shell ever again!
After a spectacular week in the South Island we headed back to Auckland.
On January 15th, just a couple of days before dusting off the laptop in the office, we got out on the water for a spot of boating and fishing!
So, there you have it, some insight into the best ‘Amputees Summer’ ever and best of all I got to do these activities with my wife and children!
But there is no doubt that my Pro Armour Lite (PAL) has saved me an enormous amount of time and hassle this summer by keeping my prosthetic clean. As I mentioned, my PAL has given me the confidence and freedom to do more in non- prosthetic friendly and harsh environments. I have no doubt that I would have completely destroyed my foot and components without a PAL – saving a lot of unneeded expense, time and hassle.
To learn more about the Pro Armour Lite, visit our website here.
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