Bionic Kate

Kate Grey

TV Presenter and Paralympic Swimmer, Kate shares her story of becoming bionic.

"I embraced my uniqueness."

Iā€™m Kate, a TV presenter and former Paralympic swimmer.Ā I lost my left hand in a farming machinery accident when I was 2 years old. With this happening to me at such a young age I didnā€™t know any different and learnt to adapt to life and itā€™s challenges with enthusiasm and confidence. I was always very active and loved playing outside and taking part in sports so that helped me overcome many physical challenges like catching a ball, swimming and riding a bike very early on. This in turn developed my determination and self belief. I embraced my uniqueness.

Finding the right prosthetic

I was very quickly introduced to prosthetics after my accident and I tried out a selection of limbs; the pelican hand, a hook style hand and the myoelectric hand; I was one of the first children to use it and during my time at primary school I used it most of the time. But as I became more sporty and my swimming career developed I realised I wasnā€™t dependent on my prosthetic and could manage without it. So when I moved into secondary school I decided to leave my prosthetics behind.

"When I wear my Hero Arm I feel empowered"

When I was first introduced to theĀ Hero Arm, I was blown away by how far prosthetics had been developed since I stopped using them many years ago and I loved the fact that the arm was not trying to fit in or look ā€˜normalā€™. The Hero Arm is all about embracing each individualā€™s unique style and personality.Ā When I wear my Hero Arm I feel empowered and proud to show it off. The reaction I get when I wear it is so different to what I was used to with my old prosthetics, which at times I used to cover up and hide away. Now I want to show it off and people are genuinely interested about it and want to understand how it works.

"Itā€™s the simple things in life that can make the biggest difference."

Iā€™ve lived 15 years of my life without a prosthetic and have managed just fine, so when I decided to try out theĀ Hero Arm, it wasnā€™t about changing my life, but instead enhancing it. And thatā€™s exactly whatā€™s itā€™s done. When I ride my bike I feel a lot safer because of the grip and changeable hand positions. When Iā€™m doing day to day chores around the kitchen like preparing vegetables Iā€™m much quicker and less likely to chop anymore of my other arm off. And in my job as a public speaker and broadcaster I am not dependent on others to hold my microphone or scripts as I can hold them myself. Itā€™s the simple things in life that can make the biggest difference.