Nid Jamporn's RHEO KNEE XC & Flex-Run Story
My name is Amonrat Jamporn, but my friends call me Nid. I was born in Thailand and now live in Australia with my husband Alex and two children, Diw (10 years old) and Alicia (3 years old). In May 2015, I was involved in a motorbike accident while in Thailand where I sustained serious injuries resulting in the loss of my left leg above the knee. It was a very scary and worrying time not knowing what my future would hold being so young, but with the support of friends and family, I have gotten back to a very active lifestyle.
Getting my first prosthetic was a very exciting yet challenging time as I had to learn to walk all over again. However, with perseverance I was able to not only walk, but get back into playing badminton, a sport I loved pre-accident. In 2018, I started participating in some tournaments in Australia. With the help of Ian Bridge from Para-Badminton Australia, and my trainer Brian Koentjoro from NBC who offered to coach and support me, I played my first Para-Badminton event in Geelong, Melbourne. In 2019, I went on to compete in my first overseas international tournament in Bangkok, Thailand where I won my first international match.
After getting a real taste of competitive badminton on the world stage, I was very happy with how my first major tournament went. However, I realised I was at a huge disadvantage with my prosthetic leg compared to other competitors. I was using my basic everyday prosthetic leg which restricted my movement and ability to be agile on court, compared to my peers who were wearing sports-specific legs. Upon my return to Australia and with the help of the NDIS and the amazing people at APC Prosthetics, I was fitted with the Össur RHEO KNEE XC for my new everyday leg, and the Flex-Run sports blade which I now use to play badminton. Since being fitted with the Flex-Run, this has developed my badminton game to a much higher level and my movement has gone from about a 2/10 to a 10/10. This gives me the confidence to compete with the best Para-Badminton players on the world stage.
Compared to my previous legs, being fitted with the RHEO KNEE XC has been a game-changer. The RHEO KNEE XC has given me the confidence to go about everyday tasks, like chasing my kids, without having to worry about the stability of my leg or falling (which I often had on my old leg). My friends and family have seen massive growth in my confidence levels as I can now participate in a lot more activities like taking long walks and playing in the park with my kids. I am now able to complete chores around the home which I used to take for granted, such as carrying baskets of washing up and down our back steps. I can now walk up and down steep hills (which used to be near impossible) and many other daily tasks that most people take for granted.
As a busy mum doing school drop-offs, taking care of our young family, as well as attending 2x badminton training and 2x social games a week, the Össur prosthetic legs have been life-changing to me and my family. I now feel I can achieve anything in life.
