Kiera Roche
Founder and CEO, LimbPower
Community Action
Kiera Roche became an amputee in 2001. As an active person Kiera wanted to resume her normal life as soon as possible but found many barriers to achieving this. There was a lack of support services once a patient left the rehabilitation service and a lack of access to suitable exercises, physical activity, sports and suitable equipment for the everyday amputee and people with limb differences. Over the last 21 years, Kiera has worked tirelessly to uncover gaps in access and delivery and then worked with her incredible charity team and partner organisations to fill these gaps through campaigning, research, video and traditional paper resources and through programmes and events.
Some of the highlights have included:
- Supporting thousands of children, young people and adults with limb difference through the rehabilitation process and into PE, exercise and sport.
- LimbPower becoming a National Disability Sports Organisation in 2014 recognised by Sport England and the Activity Alliance.
- Administering the Children’s Prosthetic Fund on behalf of the Department of Health. Over 550 children have received activity limbs for school PE and community activity.
- Campaigning with Otto Bock to give patients access to microprocessor knees through the NHS.
- Supporting the creation of the Amputee Moving Medicine Module.
- Working with Starworks on children’s research to get the latest technology to the patient.
- Creating the Residual Limb and Phantom Limb Pain Community with the online research community Stuff that Works.
- Creating the reVAMP 12-week fitness and nutrition programme with Paralympian and personal trainer Jack Eyers.
- Working with the Youth Sport Trust to create resources for school PE.
“Start the changes you want to see happen and encourage other people to join you, this is how one small step becomes a movement.”