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My Ups & Downs. Walking the South Downs, differently-abled.

So picture this… I come back from a walk only to find that my FitBit has categorised half of it as ‘outdoor cycling’ and half of it as ‘sport’. This happens to me quite often, because where walking is concerned, I’m differently-abled. I was born with severe Developmental Dysplasia of the Hips (DDH for short). In plain English that means that my hip joints didn’t form properly before I was born. I can walk but it’s not something I do with ease or speed and definitely not with grace!

I’m writing this blog to share my own journey with my funny walk – in an open, vulnerable way. Being ‘different’ has been a positive and a negative in my life. It has definitely shaped who I am. My unusual hips are not ‘who’ I am - but they are part of my story. Where I go, they go and so does their impact. And now I’m going to walk 100 miles of the South Downs Way – to see how far I can take my different walk – and my blog. I hope you enjoy reading about it. You can also follow this blog on Facebook @WalkingJill

If the shoe doesn’t fit… orthotics and hip dysplasia

By Jill Pringle July 8, 2018August 4, 2019 In fitting in, hip dysplasia, Personal, Walking 1 DDH, hip dysplasia 0

Walking my first 10K for Steps last month taught me a couple of valuable lessons. Firstly, I need to build up my leg strength, particularly around my knees,