The neuroscience graduate was born with clubfoot and she spent much of her childhood in a wheelchair due to 14 major surgeries before the age of 12
When it comes to inspiring a generation of athletes, Alice Tai takes some beating.
Partly because of her supreme abilities as a Paralympian swimmer â the 24-year-old is a world and European champion. And partly because of her MBE in 2017 for her services to the sport. But mostly it is because of her powerful back story that she shares in a new Channel 4 documentary, Amputating Alice, tonight.
The neuroscience graduate, from Poole in Dorset, was born with clubfoot. She spent much of her childhood in a wheelchair due to 14 major surgeries before the age of 12. In January last year, just seven months before she was due to compete at the Commonwealth Games, she chose to have the lower part of her right leg removed.
It would finally relieve the excruciating pain that had, quite literally, brought her to her knees. Earlier this month, she clinched gold in 100m backstroke at the Games in Birmingham to crown a truly remarkable comeback. A life finally doing the little things, however, means infinitely more to her.