List of Famous Amputees
Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 2017/11/10 - Updated: 2023/05/05
Topic: Famous Disabled People - Publications List
Page Content: Synopsis - Introduction - Main
Synopsis: List of well-known and famous people who currently are or were amputees and did not let their disability stop them from achieving their dreams in life. Biomechatronics is the science of fusing mechanical devices with human muscle, skeleton, and nervous systems, to assist or enhance motor control.
Introduction
A large proportion of amputees experience the phenomenon of phantom limbs; they feel body parts that are no longer there. These limbs can itch, ache, and feel as if they are moving. Some scientists believe it has to do with a kind of neural map that the brain has of the body, which sends information to the rest of the brain about limbs regardless of their existence.
Focus
In many cases, the phantom limb aids adaptation to a prosthesis, as it permits the person to experience proprioception of the prosthetic limb. A prosthesis is an artificial extension used to replace a missing body part. It is part of the field of biomechatronics, the science of fusing mechanical devices with human muscle, skeleton, and nervous systems to assist or enhance motor control lost by trauma, disease, or defects.
Rudimentary prostheses have been used since antiquity to replace missing limbs, teeth, etc.; their use and sophistication have increased over time. In addition to the standard artificial limb for everyday use, many amputees or congenital patients have special limbs and devices to aid their participation in sports and recreational activities.
Though many prosthetics today are made of artificial materials, the practice of cosmesis, the creation of life-like limbs made from silicone or PVC, has grown in popularity. Such prosthetics, such as artificial hands, can now mimic the appearance of real hands, complete with freckles, veins, hair, fingerprints, and even tattoos.
Prostheses and Prosthetics: Artificial Limbs News and Information
Famous and Well-Known People Who Are or were Amputees
- Adam Hills - Australian comedian and radio and television presenter.
- Aimee Mullins
- Alex Brooker
- Alex Zanardi
- Amy Winters
- Andrew Lourake - Amputee U.S. Air Force Pilot.
- Aron Ralston - Aron Lee Ralston
- Aviva Drescher
- Barbara Adside
- Bethany Hamilton
- Bill Veeck
- Blake Leeper
- Bonnie St. John Deane
- Brett Smrz
- Casey Pieretti
- Curt Marsh
- Daniel Inouye
- Don Blas de Lezo
- Ella Fitzgerald
- Erick Kaffka
- Erik Stolhanske
- Francis Anthony Melby "Tony" Iommi
- George Louis Eyser (August 31st, 1870 - March 6th, 1919) German/American gymnast competed in the 1904 Summer Olympics, earning six medals in 1 day, including three gold and two silver medals. Eyser competed with a wooden prosthesis for a left leg, having lost his real leg after being run over by a train. Despite his disability, he won gold in the vault, an event that included a jump over a long horse without the aid of a springboard.
- Glenn Malmskog
- Harold Russell
- Heather Mills
- Herbert Marshall
- Ian Gregson
- ILSE.
- James Stacy
- Jessica Cox - Inspirational keynote speaker.
- Jim Byrnes
- John Wesley Powell
- KENNEDY Ted Jr. - Edward Moore Kennedy, Jr.
- Max Cleland
- Melissa Johns - British actor and disability ambassador. She was born without a right forearm and hand. Melissa Johns played Imogen Pascoe in the hit British TV series Coronation Street in 2017.
- Nick Newell - American mixed martial artist born with congenital amputation of his left arm.
- Oscar Pistorius
- RaShad Bristo - (DOB: 12/18/1974, Shreveport, LA) - Born with one arm and successfully graduated from a police academy in Louisiana.
- Rick Allen
- Ricky Bartlett, born on September 27th, 1972, in Columbus, Georgia, USA, is an actor and CBS-affiliated radio show morning host; known for lending his voice and talents to television and movie production projects. Ricky Bartlett was a left-leg amputee, having lost his leg in an emergency amputation on December 6, 2014, due to Necrotizing Fasciitis (fleshing-eating disease) from a hiking trip in Wyoming & North Dakota. Ricky recently informed us that he is now a double-leg (bilateral) below-knee amputee as of May 2022.
- Robert David Hall
- Robert Kerrey - Joseph Robert "Bob" Kerrey
- Ronan Tynan
- RoseMarie Siggins
- Sarah Bernhardt
- Sarah Reinertsen
- Scott Rigsb
- Sir Douglas Robert Steuart Bader
- Sudarhan Gautam
- Sudha Chandran
- Suzan Ball
- Terry Fox - Terrance Stanley "Terry" Fox
- Tom Whittaker
NOTE: If you notice any inaccuracies in this list, please reach out to us so we can correct it. Additionally, if you believe someone should be added to this list, please provide us with their name and any information to verify their disability. We value your help, and you can contact us here.
You can also view our other lists of famous and well-known people with various disabilities and conditions, including actors, politicians, and writers who contributed to society.
Author Credentials: Ian is an Australian-born writer, editor, and advocate who currently resides in Montreal, Canada. He is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, a leading resource for news and information on disability issues. With a global perspective shaped by years of travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed proponent of the Social Model of Disability-a transformative framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that emphasizes dismantling societal barriers rather than focusing solely on individual impairments. His work reflects a deep commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.