The Flex-Foot Cheetah

The Flex-Foot Cheetah works by storing and releasing energy within a carbon fibre sprinting foot, a prosthetic that mimics the reaction of the anatomical foot/ankle joint to allow amputees to run quickly and naturally. The foot is J-shaped and resembles the hindquarter of a cheetah, acting like a spring and shock absorber combined. As the unit is compressed on impact, energy is stored and stress absorbed within it  which would otherwise be transferred directly to the user’s knee, hip and lower back before being released into the ground at toe-off to propel the user forward. The foot’s design is revolutionary, with areas of high stress such as the apex of the J-curve  fitted with more layers of carbon fibre, while areas in need of greater flexibility are fitted with less, allowing for a dynamism that would not be possible with a single- sized material. Further, due to the fact that the Flex-Foot Cheetah has no heel, the wearer is constantly positioned on the balls of their feet, accurately mimicking how an able- bodied runner sprints. Importantly, however, while the system is refined and has allowed amputees to rack up many world records, due to its passive nature  the foot has no motors, sensors or microprocessors – the Cheetah only returns 80 per cent of the energy stored during compression, a far way off the 249 per cent of a normal, able-bodied foot/ankle/gastroc system

                                    The Flex-Foot was styled on the hind legs of a cheetah

FACTS PARALYMPICS

1  Wartime
The first Paralympics was held in 1948 at the same time as the Summer Olympics in London, United Kingdom. Initially, only a small band of British World War II veterans took part.
 2  Diamond
 The current 400m world record is held by South African Oscar Pistorius, who clocked a rapid 47.04 seconds in 2010, beating his earlier 2008 gold medal winning time of 47.49.
 3  Wonderland
 The first Winter Paralympics was held in Sweden in 1976. They were the first Games to feature athletes other than those wheelchair-bound. Now the games allow competitors with a broad array of disabilities to take part.
4  Scandal
The Paralympic Games has been subjected to numerous cheating scandals since it was launched. Competitors have been found guilty of steroid use, autonomic dysreflexia and actually being able-bodied.
 5  Champion
Paralympian Trischa Zorn is the most decorated competitior in the history of the Games. From 1980 to 2004 she won a total of 55 medals, 41 of which are gold, in blind swimming events.