A woman with lower limb differences has shared how she overcame her "embarrassment" to advocate for inclusivity.
When Lauren Waddell was born she had bilateral clubfoot and a right leg 2.5cm longer than her left. When the 31-year-old was less than two days old, she had a seizure and a cardiac arrest which left her with lower limb paralysis.
Since then, she has regained some movement in her legs, but still experiences reduced strength and muscle tone. She has had multiple surgeries, including a complete hip replacement.
Whilst she is "healthy and happy", she tends to experience rude and invasive comments when out in public from people who assume she needs to be "cured". Lauren, a government contractor, said: "Once, I had a lady approach me and ask if she could pray for me.
"I was just a teenager at the time. I found it really annoying and inappropriate. I allowed her to stand and pray for a minute and then I went on my way. I always try to just end these awkward interactions as fast as humanly possible.
"Ideally, I would love to be bold enough to politely decline if that happened again, but I tend to people-please with these situations as a way to end them faster so I can get on with my day. People often assume I am in pain and injured.
"I've had a handful of strangers directly ask me in a concerned tone, 'Are you okay?' These instances usually happen when I'm out shopping or checking out at a store. I once had a store worker ask me if I needed a scooter. I assured him I was okay and did not need any assistance.
“These comments are usually not coming from a mean place, but I find it annoying that strangers feel entitled to approach me in public and ask embarrassing questions. As a society, we need to stop trying to cure limb differences and accept them."
Lauren says these comments sometimes make her feel “isolated”. She said: "I just wanted to hide when I was younger.
"I've always felt that my legs and feet were the thing that isolated me, and I still struggle with feeling [this way] from time to time. I don't think having a couple of birth defects should be such a big deal –I live a very normal life – but other people make it so."
In December last year, Lauren decided to take up running. She shares her journey on Instagram (@lauren.runs_).
Lauren said: "I got the inspiration to try running after a friend of mine ran his second marathon. Around December 2023, I decided to stop using my legs as an excuse [not to try it myself].
“I never saw any runners who looked like me [online], and I wanted to share clips of myself so that the public could understand that I have a right to exercise just like everyone else. I'm really proud of myself for running when other people are around.
“When I started out, if I saw other pedestrians walking on the path, I would slow down and stop because I was embarrassed. I was afraid to have other people see me sweating and out of breath trying to run.
“But I’ve practised, and now I just smile at them and keep [going]. I recognize that my walking pattern is very eye-catching, but walking and running (generally speaking) does not hurt me."
Lauren still faces challenges because of her limb differences, such as pain management, arthritis in her hip and knee joints, and the impact of cold weather on her body. But she insists that she is happy and healthy.
She added: "I want to continue to represent women with physical impairments in running. I will keep using my story to advocate for inclusivity."