Prosthetic goes on display

Adam Hills has donated a gold prosthetic foot to a museum about the Paralympic movement.

The item was created for The Last Leg in 2016, when the comic vowed that if British athletes finished above Australia at that year’s Paralympics he would paint his prosthetic foot gold and write the names of every Team GB gold medal winner on it. 

At the time, the Aussie comedian said: ‘There is no greater incentive for British athletes than to humiliate an Australian.’ And it proved the perfect motivation, as Britain did indeed win more medals than Australia, and Hills made good on his promise.

Now the foot has found a new home  at the National Paralympic Heritage Centre at Stoke Mandeville in Aylesbury.

Hills – who was  awarded an MBE in in the 2022 New Year Honours for his contributions to Paralympic sport and disability awareness – said: ‘I’ve had a foot in the UK for quite some time now, and it's lovely to know that will continue for many years to come - regardless of where the rest of my body is located.

‘I feel so honoured to be a small part of the Paralympic Movement, and I'm chuffed to know that a small part of me will be in the National Paralympic Heritage Centre.’

An item about the foot finding its new home will feature on The Last Leg of the Year airing on Channel 4 on New Year’s Eve.

 Victoria Hope-Walker, chair of the trust behind the heritage centre added: ‘Adam's generous donation is a distinctive addition to our collection, and we appreciate his dedication to preserving the history and accomplishments of Paralympic athletes. 

‘This remarkable prosthetic foot will inspire and captivate visitors, reinforcing the values of determination, courage, and unity that define the Paralympic spirit. With ambitious plans for Adam's foot, we hope that next summer, it will embark on a countywide journey, as other museums and libraries have expressed a keen interest in displaying it.’

Here it is in situ:

The centre celebrates the achievements of medic Ludwig Guttmann who encouraged wounded veterans to play sport as an aid to rehabilitation from spinal injuries – and how that has developed into the modern Paralympic Games.

Published: 20 Dec 2023