Amputee community events to put on your radar
As a lifelong amputee, some of my most memorable experiences have come from meeting and working with exceptional individuals and organisations who support those of us navigating life after limb loss. As perceptions continue to shift, it feels like an exciting time to be an amputee. A growing global movement is taking shape, with amputee-led events fostering connection, confidence, and a more profound belief in what we can achieve — with more opportunities than ever before.
Through online platforms, adaptive fitness initiatives, and expanding pathways into adaptive sport, new narratives are emerging. People are moving away from defining themselves by limitations and instead finding confidence and empowerment through seeing others on their own journeys. It's incredibly inspiring to watch people explore their potential and achieve things they once thought were out of reach — and that shared energy sits at the very heartbeat of Movao.
Movao is about bringing people together, celebrating unique stories, and supporting fulfilling lives within our amputee community. While it's easy to view our bodies as the main barrier post-amputation, more often it's uncertainty, fear, or self-doubt that holds us back. Whether you're at the very start of your journey, returning to old passions, or discovering new ones, Movao exists to provide trusted information, foster meaningful connections, and help open doors to new possibilities.
With that in mind, I want to highlight some incredible global events and movements that empower individuals to explore what's possible.
Top weekly webinar
Life Amplified with Amputee Aid:
I recently discovered this fantastic weekly webinar hosted by Amputee Aid, a remarkable organisation based in the USA. These live, interactive sessions explore a wide range of topics related to life after limb loss and regularly feature expert guests sharing practical insights, advice, and lived experience.
It's a welcoming, supportive space where you can ask questions, share your story, and connect with others who truly understand the realities of life after amputation.
You can join these via Movao Events > (here).
Learning to adapt & move
As a fitness advocate, it's been incredibly rewarding to watch the Movao fitness community grow. I hope the resources available have helped make fitness feel more manageable and less overwhelming.
If you want tips, advice, or someone to talk to, please reach out to me directly via Movao or share in the Movao Sport community group feed.
Ottobock Fitness App:
For anyone preparing for amputation or newly adjusting, the Ottobock Fitness App can be a brilliant starting point. Designed to help you exercise safely and confidently at home, it offers clear, structured modules for both lower- and upper-limb training.
Created by Ottobock professionals, these programmes are designed to build confidence and provide practical guidance for adapting to movement as a new amputee.
LimbPower FREE online fitness classes:
LimbPower, a UK-based charity, offers a full weekly timetable of free adaptive fitness classes, including Paracise, Seated HIIT, Paradance, Wobble, Tai Chi, Amp'd Up, and Yoga. These sessions are tailored specifically for amputees and people with limb differences and are led by instructors with lived experience, meaning they truly understand the challenges and adaptations involved.
With participants joining from the UK, USA, South Africa, and across Europe, the classes feel genuinely global and community-led — and all you need is an internet connection to take part.
For registration, contact [email protected]
Workout with Tyler Saunders:
I've followed Tyler Saunders' training for years — perhaps because our journeys share a familiar starting point. We were both born with congenital limb differences and began life on one leg. Tyler's approach emphasises single-leg strength, with routines that focus on glute activation and core stability — both essential for confident movement with a prosthesis.
His circuits have become a staple of my training, with Circuit 12 regularly featured in my weekly routine. Tyler's work offers a clear, practical foundation for building balanced, full-body strength.
Add Tyler's playlist to your fitness routine (here).
Adaptive Yoga with Fiona Callanan:
Fiona is a lower-limb amputee who lost her leg in the 2004 tsunami, discovered yoga while navigating the pressures of a demanding legal career. Yoga transformed her relationship with her body and reshaped her beliefs about what was possible as an amputee.
Fiona now teaches at leading studios and has created an adaptive yoga series in association with Movao. Designed for beginners, her sessions are ideal for new amputees or anyone exploring adaptive yoga for the first time. With a focus on grounding, stability, breath, and rhythm, her teaching builds confidence through calm, supported movement.
Add Fiona's yoga playlist to your fitness routine (here).
Sporting communities to watch
Inclusive Padel Tour:
The Inclusive Padel Tour is redefining what inclusive racket sport can look like. From my own experience playing with IPT, padel is one of the most accessible sports I've played. The smaller courts and additional bounce for above-the-knee amputees and wheelchair users create a genuinely level playing field, encouraging people to play together as equals.
Whether you're trying padel for the first time or approaching it competitively, the tour welcomes players of all abilities. It's fast-growing, highly social, and often described as a place to find your padel family.
- Instagram: Inclusive Padel Tour
- Website / Contact: Inclusive Padel Tour
Adaptive Climbers Festival:
Founded by Ronnie Dickson, an amputee rock climber from the United States, Adaptive Climbers was created around a simple belief: climbing should be accessible to everyone. Best known for the Adaptive Climbers Festival, the organisation also runs year-round training camps and learning opportunities, supporting people with limb loss and physical differences in exploring indoor and outdoor climbing.
The focus isn't simply on reaching the top, but on learning to work with your body as it is — building trust, problem-solving skills, and confidence within a supportive, community-led environment.
- Instagram: Adaptive Climbers Fest
- Website / Contact: Adaptive Climbers Fest
Disabled Hikers:
Disabled Hikers is about giving people the confidence to get outside and walk in ways that work for them. Built on the belief that nature should be accessible to everyone, the community shares experiences, encouragement, and practical guidance to support people walking alone or together.
There's no pressure to go fast or far — it's about pacing yourself, taking rest, and choosing routes that feel right. Whether it's a short local walk or a longer adventure, Disabled Hikers gently redefines what hiking can look like.
- Instagram: Disabled Hikers
- Website / Contact: Disabled Hikers
And Beyond…
These are just a few highlighted events and organisations. Across the world, countless communities are creating pathways for adaptive sport that didn't exist before.
If something here sparks curiosity, follow and learn. If not, speak with your limb centre, prosthetist, or local amputee organisations — and explore what's happening near you.
Because often, all it takes is finding your people… and simply showing up.
Other top global sporting communities to explore:
- World Amputee Football Federation (WAFF)
- International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF)
- International Tennis Federation – Wheelchair & Adaptive Tennis
- World Para Athletics
- World Para Swimming
- UCI Para Cycling (World Para Cycling)
- World Wheelchair Rugby
- World Para Triathlon
- World Abilitysport (Multi-sport events)
- Ottobock Running Clinics
- EmpowerFest (USA)
- Move United (USA – multi-sport)
- WheelPower (UK – wheelchair sport)
- CrossFit Adaptive / CrossFit Games Adaptive Division
