SPORTS HERO: AIMEE MULLINS
Born in 1976 in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and growing up between Pennsylvania and County Clare, Ireland, Aimee Mullins has overcome challenges from day one. She was born with fibular hemimelia, a limb anomaly wherein there is partial or total absence of the fibula (shin) bones.
She had both legs amputated below the knee when she was only a year old. (Without her legs, she could still learn to walk with artificial ones. With her legs, she would have been confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life.) Her amazing spirit and drive helped compensate for the portion of her body she was missing.
Despite her physical limitations, she pushed herself physically and mentally to succeed. In high school she participated in numerous sports, including softball and skiing.
Mullins has since set her sights towards Hollywood. She has already had a few roles on television and in movies, and she has been featured in numerous magazines and books. In 2002 she starred in Matthew Barney's cult-favorite 'Cremaster 3,' playing a cheetah woman, ironic in that her own sprinting legs were designed after the super-swift animal. She had both legs amputated below the knee when she was only a year old. (Without her legs, she could still learn to walk with artificial ones. With her legs, she would have been confined to a wheelchair for the rest of her life.) Her amazing spirit and drive helped compensate for the portion of her body she was missing.
Despite her physical limitations, she pushed herself physically and mentally to succeed. In high school she participated in numerous sports, including softball and skiing.
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