With successful careers as an athlete, model, actress, and public speaker, Aimee Mullins has consistently broken through many barriers – but don’t make the mistake of referring to her as disabled.
“‘Disabled’ is perfectly relevant when describing a piece of machinery. But I find it really problematic when we use it to describe humans,” Mullins said in an interview with the podcast “Change Lab.”
Mullins was born with fibular hemimelia, or missing fibula bones, and, as a result, had to have both lower legs amputated below the knee at the age of one. Despite being told she would need a wheelchair and would never walk, her parents watched her adapt to prosthetic legs and quickly take up sports and acting.
Mullins was passionate about swimming, skiing, soccer, biking, and softball. She was awarded a full academic scholarship to Georgetown University, where she studied in the School of Foreign Service. She was one of three students to win an internship with a foreign affairs program at the Pentagon.
While at Georgetown, Mullins made history as the first amputee to compete against able-bodied athletes in the NCAA’s Division 1 track and field events. She went on to set records in the 100 and 200-meter races and the long jump and competed in the Paralympics in 1996 in Atlanta. Competing in a class based on what the Internal Paralympics Committee defines as “limb deficiency, leg length difference, impaired muscle power, or impaired range of movement,” she ran the 100-meter sprint in 17.01 seconds and reached 3.14 meters in the long-jump, using her woven carbon-fiber prostheses, modeled after a cheetah’s hind legs. She retired from competitive track and field in 1998.
Mullins’s grace and athleticism launched a career in fashion as a runway model for Alexander McQueen and as a global ambassador for L’Oréal. She has also appeared in several roles in film and television, including “World Trade Center,” “Poirot,” “Young Ones,” and “Stranger Things.”
Mullins is also known for her TED talks, which have been viewed by millions and translated into 42 languages. She remains a member of the Board of Trustees and Athlete Advisory Panel for the Women Sports Foundation and is included as one of the "Greatest Women of the 20th Century" in the Women's Museum in Dallas, Texas.