What does 2023 hold for Alex, The OT Practice Brand Ambassador? Chapter 1
Alex Lewis is a quadruple amputee and The OT Practice’s Brand Ambassador. He is a leading campaigner and champion of independent living for those who have experienced life-changing limb difference. He recently visited our HQ in Hook to meet the team and update us on some of his latest projects.
2023 marks the 10-year anniversary since Alex’s life changed due to life-saving surgery. Since then, with the help of adaptive equipment and prosthetics, he has dedicated a large part of his time to extreme physical challenges to raise awareness and fundraise for the various charities he’s involved with.
He is also dedicated to helping amputees around the world access the support and technology to allow them to live independently, while highlighting the challenges and opportunities regarding limb difference. This is done through the Alex Lewis Trust, and the FLOAT Foundation (For The Love of Assited Technology) which is dedicated to working with UK schools and universities to develop end-user focussed assistive technology.
This year Alex has set himself a full schedule:
Ukraine
Alex has recently returned from Ukraine where he travelled with a medical team and limb experts to visit military personnel from the front line who had been injured in the war. The fact-finding visit was to:
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Understand the country’s provision of support for its personnel from the moment of injury and early rehabilitation, to the provision of affordable and appropriate prosthetics.
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Educate the military on how the use of technology and prosthetic solutions could enable independence. Alex was able to demonstrate first hand, with the support of the Koalaa team* back in the UK, how quickly prosthetics can make a difference to someone’s quality-of-life. [*Koalaa manufacture soft prosthetics for adults and children. Through their virtual clinic model they are able to provide remote support during the fitting of a prosthetic to a Ukrainian soldier].
Using himself as an example, Alex’s presence in the war-zone also served to demonstrate to those injured by the conflict that the opportunity for independent living is achievable and attainable.
The team are now back in the UK and are working on a plan for their next steps. We will keep you updated on this over the coming months.
The Salisbury 300
This is a 300km 24hr cycle challenge across Salisbury Plains in Alex’s well-travelled specially adapted handcycle in aid of The Murray Parish Trust, the Hampshire charity set up by actors James Murray and Sarah Parish to advance paediatric emergency medicine in Southampton.
Pig to Pig
Alex and his support team are taking on a month-long challenge of rowing 400 miles from Padstow to Dover, and then cycling 600 miles back from Canterbury back to Padstow – stopping to speak with schools and businesses along the way about assistive technology, and the schools competition launching later in the year. The journey starts and ends at The Pig country house in Harlyn Bay, Cornwall, and is also in aid of the FLOAT Foundation. The OT Practice are proud to be sponsoring of this event, and you can might even see one of us in the boat at some point!
Assistive Technology Competition
This is a national competition that will be launched later this year, challenging pupils from ages 7-18 to design an assistive product for someone they know. We’re excited to confirm that Nikki Thompson, the founder of The OT Practice, will be one of the national judges for the competition.
Look out for further chapters. Alex has been our Brand Ambassador for a number of years now and we continue proudly to be a part of his journey. As 2023 promises to be another full year, we will continue to support and partner Alex, and will keep you updated on his adventures on our website and through our Case Manager Newsletters.
Read more about our partnership with Alex here.
