I had the great joy of joining other amputees, their family members, and close friends in a mini adventure over the O2 arena. The Limbless Association advert to take part had caught my attention a few weeks before, having checked my diary, this was something I wanted to do. As an upper arm amputee (aka trans-humeral amputee) since 28/11/22 I was aware I’d never even met other amputees especially not one like me. I’d been so appreciative of the support from the Limbless Association following the amputation, pairing me up with someone with years of arm amputee experience. I felt this was a great way to raise some money, have a great day out and meet others like me.
From the moment I arrived at the O2 the team and those taking part in the walk (or watching from the ground) made me feel incredibly welcome. It was lovely not to be the only disabled person and with others that were more like me. I enjoyed getting to know the other people there. As the rain poured down we waited for our turn and thankfully the sun began to shine. We attended the safety talk, got kitted up, climbed some steps and we were on our way, to walk over the O2!
Everyone naturally looked out for each other and cheered one another on. As an arm amputee, the challenges were slightly different to the leg amputees, but together we reached the top. After sightseeing, more chatting and lots of photos we began our journey down. The sun shone for our entire climb and as I headed home, the rain began to fall.
Thank you for the opportunity. As someone who enjoys being active, it was lovely to take part in this physical challenge with other amputees.
Blog post written by Liz Styles
O2 Climb 2023
This year’s climb was supported by event sponsor Anthony Gold Solicitors LLP.
