Ten Questions with Jack Eyers
He lost a leg but gained a career as an actor, model and world-class paracanoeist
Adam Pretty/Getty Images
- Laura Rutkowski
Jack Eyers, 35, from Bournemouth, is a two-time paracanoe world and European champion, a model and actor, and in 2017 became the first amputee to be crowned Mr England. Paris 2024 will be his first Paralympic Games.
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Jack, you were born with proximal femoral focal deficiency (PFFD) in your right leg. How did that change your life?
It was a deficiency of my femur, which meant that my knee joint and my hip joint were underdeveloped as well. It felt restricting, like a ball and chain. I’d been quite sporty at school, but as my leg got progressively worse, it knocked my self-confidence, so I stepped away from sport. When I was 16 and had my leg amputated,
I wanted to be involved in sport again. I love the water, so I joined a canoeing club eight years ago.
How did you decide to have an above-the-knee amputation?
When I was 11 or 12, I met Louie Brownsell at a prosthetic centre. He called himself “a one-legged stuntman” and had worked with Tom Hanks and Daniel Day-Lewis. He was born with a very similar condition to mine and had his leg amputated through elective surgery. He inspired me and changed my mindset. I had several options, like bone-lengthening, reconstruction surgery, knee replacement, hip replacement, but I said, “I want my leg gone.” It’s quite extreme, so I had to convince the surgeons and my parents that was the right decision. My mum wanted me to understand that if I changed my mind, I wouldn’t be able to put it back on!
How did you feel afterwards?
I felt very disabled before my amputation. Now, I don’t feel like I’m disabled as such; I’m an amputee. I have a bugbear about the word “disability” – it’s so broad and everyone has different abilities. It’s important for us to be a bit more specific so people can support the individual. I don’t
feel like I’m particularly limited in any way. I am determined. I’m fit. I never experience depression because of my leg. I’ve also got dyslexia, and that affects how I feel about myself more than my leg.
What do you think of how disability is represented in the media today?
It’s so much better now. There’s a big movement with disabled people embracing being disabled and being very positive about it, which certainly wasn’t the case when I was growing up. The only people represented in the media who had disabilities were James Bond villains or Captain Hook.
Jack Eyers. Alamy
As well as a Paralympian, you’re an actor — how did that happen?
At 18, I joined an acting agency that worked with amputees and people living with limb difference. I starred in Casualty and Holby City as an injured person, and in horror films and war films. I worked alongside the military on realistic reenactment scenarios for medical training. If I didn’t have an impairment, I think I would be in the military.
What about your modelling?
I contacted a modelling agency, Models of Diversity. Disabled people weren’t being represented within the fashion industry, so I started doing photoshoots for ASOS and Topman, and I was the first amputee to walk at New York Fashion Week. I was talent spotted for Mr England. I signed up, and the next thing I knew I was in the competition, and the first amputee to win. I wanted to challenge people’s perception of disability.
What inspired you to set up your personal training business?
I made a list of things I wanted to achieve, and being a personal trainer was one of them. It was never about trying to look good – it was about building confidence and ability, and helping other people living with impairments or physical injuries.
What’s your training schedule?
In the run-up to the Paralympics, I was doing up to four sessions a day, five to six days a week. In the gym, I was working on strength and power, with canoeing-specific movements. When I’m in the speed and endurance phase there are lactic tolerance sessions – working through that burning feeling, building a tolerance so you can push harder for longer – so there’s a lot of being sick and in pain! I’m strict with my diet – porridge gives me the energy I need.
How does paracanoe work?
The canoe I paddle is called a va’a [“small boat” in Polynesian] and I typically paddle on one side. It’s a 200-metre sprint on flat water – it’s exciting, fast and powerful. I take my prosthetic off while racing.
Are you excited about your first Paralympic Games?
A little nervous, but excited! The commitment and sacrifice I’ve had to put in has affected my partner, my daughter, my family and my close friends. Being an athlete is quite selfish, because it’s all about you. For me, just qualifying and having my family in Paris – I’ve already won.
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Paracanoe events start 6 September — coverage on C4, channel4.com/paras
Authors
Laura Rutkowski
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