Got a Girl Crush On: Aimee Mullins

Fashion model. International record-breaking athlete. Actress. Double amputee.

Aimee Mullins first received worldwide media attention as an athlete. Born without fibulae in both legs, Aimee’s medical prognosis was discouraging; she was told she would never walk, and would likely spend the rest of her life using a wheelchair. In an attempt at independent mobility, doctors amputated both her legs below the knee on her first birthday. By age two, she had learned to walk on prosthetic legs, and spent her childhood doing the usual athletic activities of her peers. While studying at Georgetown University, she set her sights on making the US Team for the 1996 Atlanta Games. Outfitted with woven carbon-fiber prostheses that were modeled after the hind legs of a cheetah, she went on to set World Records in the 100 metres, the 200 metres and the long jump, sparking a frenzy over the radical design of her prototype sprinting legs. In 1999, Aimee made her runway debut in London at the invitation of fashion designer Alexander McQueen. In February 2011, she was named as the new Global Brand Ambassador to the world’s largest beauty brand L’Oreal Paris, another cultural milestone. An influential voice in today’s culture, she is regularly invited to share her ideas at various corporations and global conferences like TED and TEDMED.

Listen to Aimee’s inspired stories on The Moth

(photo by Nick Knight)