Mar 9, 2016 | By Benedict
Create Prosthetics, a Lake Placid, NY-based 3D printing specialist, has created a set of 3D printed prosthetic leg covers for Corie Mapp, a British Paralympic bobsledder. The protective devices have been emblazoned with the crest of Arsenal F.C., Mapp’s favorite soccer team.
It would be something of an understatement to call British Paralympic bobsledder Corie Mapp an inspirational figure. In 2010, while serving his country in Musa Qala, Afghanistan, the Lance Corporal was seriously injured by an improvised explosive device, losing both his legs in the process. Never one to shy away from adversity, Mapp was moving around on prosthetic legs just two weeks after waking from an induced coma.
Determined to maintain his all-action lifestyle despite the loss of his legs, Barbados-born Mapp took up several sports, and has since become one of the world’s best Paralympic bobsledders. The Lance Corporal has even pioneered a new form of the sport, previously reserved for able-bodied bobsledders. Paralympic bobsled racers usually start in a seated position but, earlier this year, Mapp became the first bilateral amputee to push start and load a bobsled.
Upon seeing the Briton’s incredible achievements, Create Prosthetics, a New York 3D printed prosthesis specialist, got in touch with Mapp to propose making him a customized 3D printed leg cover. Mapp agreed to become Create Prosthetic’s first sponsored athlete, but on one important condition: that his 3D printed prosthesis covers would be emblazoned with a bobsled graphic and the logo of Arsenal F.C., his favorite soccer team.
Create Prosthetics aims to create “functional, better-looking, and more durable prosthetic solutions for amputees and the prosthetists who distribute them”. Working with a range of amputees young and old, the Lake Placid-based company seeks to make its customers comfortable with their prostheses by creating 3D printed covers which fully express the wearer’s personality.
“We are really excited to partner with Corie, and we can’t think of a better person to represent us and our brand,” said Create Prosthetics founder and CEO Jeff Erenstone. “He is the real deal, a super humble guy, and a hard-working athlete.”
For Mapp himself, the incredible journey following the loss of his legs was as inevitable as it is inspiring for others: “If we sit at home, pile loads of weight on and feel sorry for ourselves, things go downhill,” he said. “Sport helps me stay fit and competitive, and keep me mentally sharp.”
In 2015, Mapp won gold at the inaugural Paralympic World Cup bobsleigh race. He also plays sitting volleyball, disabled cricket for Hampshire, and is part of Great Britain's Paralympic bobsleigh team.
Posted in 3D Printing Application
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