…and one with one leg!

When I was 8 my mums took me and my brother (9) to Venice. Everyone asked why they’d travel somewhere more fitting for romantic adults, but I remember it being one of our best trips, simply wandering the alleyways and canals, spending hours feeding the pigeons in St Mark’s Square.

Likewise, taking two teenagers to Las Vegas raised some questions. But again, it was one of my favourite trips. We continued the ‘questionable travel’ Venice theme by staying in The Venetian, and having visited every single hotel on the strip, I can categorically say The Venetian is the best hotel in Las Vegas.

The Venetian was so plush. I honestly felt like a Queen wandering the hallways and open spaces.

As an amputee you have to have the confidence to walk long distances on your leg as the hotel is massive. They do have mobility scooters for hire at the concierge desk, and many people, including lots of perfectly fit men on stag dos, can be seen whizzing around the casinos on them. But if you’re shattered after a long day and can’t face the walk to a restaurant, I highly recommend the room service. Absolutely delicious, and massive portion sizes!

A good few hours can be spent in most hotels as each one is so different. Obviously they all have the casinos but there are some incredible attractions for teenagers dotted around the strip. For us in the Venetian it was the Gondola ride. There’s an indoor and outdoor canal, and even though it’s expensive you can’t come to The Venetian and not go on a gondola. You pass the rialto bridge and The Campanile di San Marco, and it’s just so much fun in a really bizarre way!

Another hotel worth a visit is the New York New York where my brother went on the Big Apple Rollercoaster – it was 42 degrees and I didn’t want my leg flying off mid loop! (That’s my excuse anyway!)

Here’s a great link to other rides on the strip: Rollercoasters in Las Vegas. And here’s a fantastic link of things to do in Las Vegas with kids: Las Vegas for families. My video of us walking the strip should give you a flavour of how similar the trip was to Venice, simply wandering around without a care in the world, taking in the sights and marvelling at what an incredible place Las Vegas truly is.

There was absolutely no issue with children and teenagers walking through the casinos, the only rule was that we weren’t allowed to ‘loiter.’ However there didn’t seem to be anyone really checking for loiterers so I managed to have the odd quick go on the 1 dollar machines and roulette. Fun for about two minutes until my 5 dollars ran out and that was my gambling allowance spent.

The absolute best thing you have to do in Las Vegas is a trip to the Grand Canyon. We went with Papillon as they’re the only company who have an agreement with the Hualapai Indian tribe who own the land at Grand Canyon West, meaning they’ll let your helicopter land in the basin and a member of the tribe will take you on a pontoon boat down the Colorado River. This video doesn’t do it justice, but it will give an idea of just how magical the whole experience was.

Papillon also do the helicopter rides down the Vegas strip. Definitely book the nighttime flight and only book the 15 minute trip – again truly magical.

When I think about where I was this time last year I can’t quite believe the adventures I’m currently having. Travel is my favourite thing to do. Meeting new people. Seeing new sights. Living life to the absolute max.

Vegas was wild. It’s so much more than gambling and I’d highly recommend to absolutely everybody of all ages!

Messanges – South of France

Annabel’s Amputee Assessment: 5 star

Back in 2020 I went on the best holiday of my life. Camping Le Vieux Port in the South of France. It had everything an active teenager could want… and back then I had everything too (all of my body parts):

This year, when asked where I’d like to travel for my summer holiday, I said: Camping Le Vieux Port. Why shouldn’t amputees do everything that non-amputees do? It might be a little harder, but if you’re determined to succeed, you’ll always find a way, and I did.

The travel was exactly the same and a really nice way to start the holiday. You take your own car, filled to the brim with all of your stuff – bikes, bodyboards, scooters, the lot, and get the long Brittany Ferry to Santander.

It’s overnight and you get a cabin which means no long drives through France to get to your destination.

Camping Le Vieux Port has so many accommodation options. We chose the cabin with hot tub that’s right next to the beach, but there are camping pitches and wooden wagons and so much variety that all family members can come along and join you, regardless of budget and camping level preference.

The site is 5 Star and has everything you could possibly need:

You’re right next to Vieux Boucau which is a gorgeous little town full of trinket shops and restaurants, easy to bike to in about 10 minutes.

I did also take my electric scooter as I was unsure how I’d manage climbing the hill to the beach on my bike, but it turns out I was fine so my mum had to spend the holiday burning it up on my scooter which I think she secretly liked. Everybody of all ages had some mode of transport to get around which meant it was so safe as cars drove slowly to avoid people like my mum swerving around on scooters.

You have both the pool and beach options.

I had been told that prosthetics and sand don’t mix but the Genium X3 outdid my expectations once again. I literally got buried in the sand, thrown around in the surf, bubbled in the hot tub, shot down the slides, and absolutely nothing went wrong! I’d decided to buy an extra liner so I had one I could get wet in the day and one that I saved for the night. This worked really well allowing my day liner time to dry out.

It would have been so easy to book a ‘safer’ or ‘less demanding’ holiday, but then I’d have missed out on all of this fun.

Be brave, amputees, you can do it!

Sam Ryder – Annabel Kiki – Mountain Performer

There I was, on stage, with Sam Ryder and Roger Taylor from Queen, performing in front of 180 million people.

So, this happened:

February 2023, I receive a mysterious email, asking if I’d take part in a top secret Eurovision project. May 2023, I’m on stage with Sam Ryder and Roger Taylor from Queen, performing in front of 180 million people.

My new life with one leg is beyond crazy! But what a wonderful crazy it is.

I had to sign an NDA with the BBC stating I couldn’t say a word about anything to anyone, at all, ever, until midnight after the Grand Final performance on 13th May. I wasn’t allowed to post any pictures showing me in Liverpool, or any selfies with other members of the limb-loss community just in case the wonderful secret of Sam Ryder’s performance were to get out.

The secret didn’t get out, but here’s what went on in the background:

And for everyone asking, Sam Ryder honestly is as magnificent as he appears. The word genuine doesn’t do him justice. He truly truly cares. I always say that genuine people never seem to be in a rush. In their conversation they make the other person feel special. Sam made me feel so so special.

Genuine people never seem to be in a rush. In their conversation they make the other person feel special.

The song ‘Mountain’ is for anyone who has ever struggled in life. Mental health. Physical health. Worries with work, family or friends. Anxieties and nerves about anything and everything. Life is tough for so many in this often cruel world, and I honestly don’t think there’s anyone who won’t relate to the song in one way or another. “I am a mountain and down in the valley below is all that I’ve overcome.”

I am a mountain and down in the valley below is all that I’ve overcome.

What a mighty message. It’s more than empowering. It’s life changing. We are the mountains, and I certainly felt like one, banging my drum on stage on Saturday night. A year previously, I was in hospital trying to survive sepsis that I caught because my body was so weak from months of chemotherapy. I then had my leg amputation to look forward to on May 23rd. If I could have told that 13-year-old version of me, that in less than a year, I’d be performing on stage at the Eurovision grand final, happy, healthy and beyond proud of my prosthetic leg, I wouldn’t have believed it.

One of my core beliefs in life is that the good guys always win. Sam Ryder is one of the good guys and I am so honoured to call him my friend. Thank you Sam. You’re just the best.

Please watch the full performance here. It’s sensational:

Things to do in Bruges

Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate. Horses, tower and torture. That’s it, that’s the blog.

Where’s the torture, I hear you cry? Was it the bumping around on a horse and carriage after consuming ten tons of chocolate? No. Bruges has the most gruesome Torture Museum I’ve ever seen, so gruesome that I didn’t want to return this year. My first experience age 10 scarred me for life, but it’s definitely worth visiting and certainly something you’ll remember forever.

Likewise, I’d climbed the Bruges Tower before. It has 366 very slim steps and I’m confident I’d be able to climb it again with my Genium X3, but on this occasion the gentle sightseeing via horse and carriage won out. But I do recommend a visit as the view from the top is breath-taking.

For amputees or people with mobility issues I’d suggest you head straight to the town square. Bruges is very small and everything is easily accessible, but the best way to decide where you want to spend your energy exploring is to see the whole city first from the comfort of a carriage.

The horses are lined up in the town square and an hour tour will cost you 60 Euros.

This way you get to see all of the wonderful streets and canals and make note of which chocolate shops look the best – (they’re all wonderful!)

I’d then recommend a leisurely day wandering the streets and visiting all of the gorgeous cafes and trinket shops.

Things to do in Rotterdam

This is the second time I’ve been to Rotterdam, once with two legs, once with one. Either way, it’s just as easy to get around as an amputee.

I highly recommend heading straight to Zwann Bikes, it’s a one-minute walk from Rotterdam central station and there you can choose your mode of transport. Bikes, eBikes, scooters, bucket bikes. They have the lot and they’re incredibly cheap to hire.

Rotterdam has the very best cycle path system I’ve ever seen, with easy-to-follow red lanes. Trams do buzz past every so often, but it doesn’t feel busy and you could always opt for a tricycle or bucket bike if you’re worried about wobbling into traffic. I chose a bucket bike when I was ten. I have no clue why. I had two legs and could ride a bike perfectly, but here I am seeing the sites of Rotterdam in the most laid back of fashions.

Everywhere is within pedalling distance and I highly recommend…

The Cube Houses, conceived and constructed by architect Piet Blom in the 1970s in an attempt to solve the dilemma of building houses on top of a pedestrian bridge.

By Mi and Es, the most gorgeous coffee shop with the most gorgeous breakfasts.

The Natural History Museum where the highlight is definitely the whale’s penis. My brother didn’t want a picture with it this year, so here he is the last time we visited.

Stroopwafels are everywhere but I recommend heading to Didi’s for the most delicious ones.

The Erasmus Bridge is amazing to cycle over and impressive to stand and admire.

You’ll stumble across many beautiful parks on your cycles, so I’d advise no strict itinerary when you travel to Rotterdam. Simply get on your bike and see where your journey takes you.

Having only ever travelled on The Pride of Hull, the 22-year-old ferry that caught fire in the North Sea, I was excited by the prospect of a week’s cruise aboard the Iona, P&O’s newest and largest cruise ship.

With a guest capacity of 5,200, more than 30 places to eat and drink, 4 swimming pools, an infinity pool and 18 whirlpool spas, what was not to love?

Well, quite a lot, as it turns out.

For an amputee with a prosthetic leg, the lifts were hugely important. 18 decks of stairs was just too much for my Genium X3, even with its amazing step-over-step function. Unfortunately the lifts on the Iona were awful. Huge queues at all times. Often I’d be waiting over ten minutes for a free lift (they’d arrive, doors would open, and they’d be full) so I had to resort to climbing the stairs. What less able amputees would do, I have no clue. It really was frustrating.

Another negative was the teen club, The Scene. We registered on day 1 but couldn’t just turn up to play pool or hang out, we had to book a session via the Iona app and every single session was full for the duration of the cruise. Likewise, the cinema, where you were able to just walk in and sit down, was always full even when you arrived over half an hour early for the movie. Plus the snacks vending machine was empty on day 1 and never restocked.

There were numerous hidden costs and I spent the whole cruise asking: Is this included? The majority of the time it wasn’t. The cost for WiFi was extortionate as was the drinks package which didn’t even include bottles of coke, or cans of sprite, just watered down non-brand versions from the tap.

The shows were okay, the food was okay, but I felt like I was stuck on a glorified shopping centre for the week. I didn’t get it and I didn’t understand why other people would get it. Where was the magic? I honestly think I had more fun on The Pride of Hull wondering whether we’d make it across the North Sea in one piece.

Highlights were the hot tubs right outside our cabin. Always empty (it was April and cold so I imagine they’d be incredibly busy on a summer cruise.)

The Keel and Cow restaurant was the best (but you had to pay.)

The spa, really luxurious (but again you had to pay.)

The room service – probably the nicest food on the ship – no clue why they didn’t serve such a menu in the included dining, (but again you had to pay.)

The CPS disabled parking with priority boarding included, right outside the ship was definitely worth the expense.

I love to travel and I love to explore and our three stop-offs in Hamburg, Bruges and Rotterdam were great, but we didn’t have long enough to feel like we were actually there, we just got a snapshot of the highlights, and in my opinion that’s not what true travel’s really about.

The first international training camp, Warsaw, Poland – March 2023

I was beyond honoured to be invited to the first international training camp for female amputee football players. I’ve played since I was 7, winning the Staffordshire Ladies Cup 5 years in a row with my team Burntwood Phoenix.

When I lost my leg in May 2022 I never thought I’d play again until I saw a Twitter Video of the Female Polish Amputee Team promoting their first international training camp. I replied to say how wonderful it was and that I wished we had something like that in England, and just like that, I was invited.

It turns out we only have one English Amputee Female Player, Shelbee Clarke. I am now the second.

Now I’m certainly no Shelbee, having only played for the first time on crutches this weekend, but I learnt quickly and held my own. I was even paired with Fifa Puskas Award Winner Marcin Oleksy.

I might have lost my leg, but I haven’t lost my first touch, or my ability to pass accurately and strike the ball. My knowledge of the game also hasn’t disappeared and I can easily read where I can pick up the ball and send it. Confidence on my crutches will come and I’m fast on one leg. So watch this space. I’m a World Cup Winning Woman in the making.

Let’s just hope the English FA push this as much as Poland and other countries seem to be. The USA have a team, as do a few African nations and with a bit of support England could be next… I don’t just want to be popular in Poland:

Overall the weekend was great fun and has given me hope that football might be in my future once more.

Bulgaria

Annabel’s Amputee Assessment: 3 Star

The Festa Winter Palace classes itself as a 5-star hotel. Unfortunately it’s nowhere near… and that’s not just because I have one leg and it’s at the top of a slippery slope in a ski resort.

It’s very dated and reminded me of Hotel Transylvania. I emailed ahead to say I was an amputee and would rather have a room on the ground floor if possible, but I heard nothing back and was given a room on floor 2 – not a problem as the hotel has lifts (slow, but working), but the people were not particularly friendly.

The hotel’s highlight is definitely the pool and spa, free for everyone of all ages and almost empty every time I used it.

There’s a sauna, steam room, salt room, relaxation room and area where you can pay for massages – wonderful after a day on the slopes.

Everything else in the hotel was just okay. The room was okay. The food was okay. The distance to the slopes was okay. The Rila Hotel is definitely the closest though. Breakfast was fine, but the evening meals were cold in temperature and not particularly appetising so I chose to eat out at one of the many restaurants in town most evenings.

The Festa Winter Palace is a good choice if you want a bit of peace and quiet – the Rila – the most popular hotel in Borovets is massive and right in the centre of town.

Overall I’d say the Festa Winter Palace is more functional than five star, and more functional than friendly. Please watch my full video review below:

Having re-learnt to ski on my Genium X3, I wanted a resort that had plenty of green runs, and Borovets in Bulgaria looked perfect.

As you can see from the piste map below, there are two button lifts, the Rila and the Rotata, next to easy green runs, and a long green run from the top of the mountain accessible via the Sitnyakovo Express chairlift.

I stayed in the Festa Winter Palace – review here – within easy walking distance of the slopes. I didn’t, however, want to walk any distance in my ski boots so I hired my skis from Alpin Ski, a shop right next to the Rila lift, where I could store my boots and helmet etc in a heated locker.

This made the mornings really easy. Ski clothes and snow boots on in the hotel, short walk to the shop for ski gear, step onto the snow and start skiing.

Ski clothes and snow boots on in the hotel, short walk to the shop for ski gear, step onto the snow and start skiing

The shop opens at 8am giving you plenty of time to grab your gear and get ready for the lifts that open at 8.30am… handy for someone like me who takes ages to get ready:

I’m not going to lie, the slopes in Borovets in February half term were horrifically busy. I have never seen anything quite like it and I have skied since I was three. The quietest time was 8.30am-10.30am. I’d then advise you go for a swim or a spa before returning to the slopes for night skiing Wed-Sun 6.30pm – 9.30pm.

There are loads of fantastic places to eat and some wonderful trinket shops to explore:

There’s even a tattoo parlour with Bulgaria having no age restrictions on tattoos:

Overall I’d recommend Borovets for total beginners. I’d completed all of the green runs on day one and the blues and red weren’t very challenging at all. If you can avoid half term holidays do as most of your time will be spent in lift queues or avoiding novice skiers out of control on the slopes. But it’s cheap and it’s cheerful, and if you ever lose your leg I’d highly recommend it as a place to begin once again.

Well, what worked for me was losing my left leg. That, and being incredibly tall. It could also be the fact I have the Genium X3, the world’s best prosthesis which enables me to get into positions that other models can only dream of…

But seriously, how did I do it? First, I searched online for inclusive modelling agencies. I wanted representation that embraced my difference, and Zebedee Talent – the world’s leading inclusive model agency – seemed like a good place to start.

Second, I filled in the form. I had to give all of my stats, details of my difference, any interesting experiences and hobbies, I then had to upload 3 photos. No filters. No hats. No sunglasses. No makeup. Just you looking your absolute worst.

I took the photos and thought: ‘well, that’s that then, this isn’t happening,’ but I decided to send them off all the same. When you’ve been through something as horrifying as I have, nothing scares you anymore, not even dreadful photos of yourself.

When you’ve been through something as horrifying as I have, nothing scares you anymore, not even dreadful photos of yourself.

The agency said they’d reply to successful applicants within 4 weeks. If you didn’t hear back, you’d have to assume you’d been unsuccessful. I sent my application in on the Sunday evening and by the Tuesday morning I’d been contacted to say they’d love to represent me. I had an agent! Two days after starting my search!

Things moved pretty quickly from there. I had to sign a massive contract. I hope my mum read it properly. I was too busy having my professional photographs taken.

So that’s it really. Search for representation and apply. And from now on, if you’d like to work with me, you’ll have to contact my agent.

Ps: I can’t believe I just wrote that last sentence! What a wonderful rollercoaster this life is.