Life doesn’t always go as planned. For Lyndsay, founder of Neo Walk, it threw a curveball so wild it upended everything she knew about herself. But instead of letting it define her, she turned it into a story of resilience, creativity, with, as she likes to say, “a lot of Yorkshire grit and a little bit of sparkle.”

Lyndsay’s journey began with a seemingly routine knee replacement surgery in 2007. Except the result was anything but routine. A catastrophic MRSA infection followed, wreaking havoc on her body. After three long years of surgeries, struggling  and complications, she had her left leg amputated above the knee in 2010. At 43 years old, Lyndsay found herself trying to adapt to life as an amputee, living with body image issues and low self confidence.

Lyndsay wearing her prosthetic leg

“The physical side of it was hard enough, but the emotional side? That nearly crushed me,” she admits. “I was so self-conscious, I hardly left the house. And when I did, I felt like a walking exhibit. People stared at me, like they pitied me. I used to joke that I should charge for a photo! My smile hid a lot of what I was feeling. You can never tell what’s going on underneath.”

Learning to walk with a prosthetic leg was a huge challenge. Over the years, further surgeries and chronic illnesses, including worsening arthritis, autoimmune conditions, and debilitating fatigue, meant she could no longer walk at all. Today, Lyndsay uses a wheelchair full-time. While the loss of mobility brought new struggles, it never dulled her sense of humour or determination.

Lyndsay and the Neo Walk Van

            Lyndsay and her trusty Neo Walk van

“Do I wish I could walk again? Sometimes. I’m occasionally walking when I dream. But I’ve also discovered I can thrive exactly as I am,” she says. “Some days, thriving looks like building my business. Other days, it looks like eating biscuits and watching telly in my pyjamas. It’s all about keeping your perspective and allowing yourself to rest when you need to.”

Early on, when she needed a walking stick it made her feel even worse about herself. “All the options were so depressing—grey, floral, and just plain old fashioned. It felt like they were designed to remind you of what you’d lost, not who you still were,” she says.

Fed up with the lack of choice, Lyndsay decided to make her own. Using clear acrylic, she created a sleek, invisible walking stick. “At the time I wanted to be invisible, I just wanted to disappear. But something funny happened. People started stopping me in the street—not to question me about my disability, but to ask where I got my fabulous stick!”

That’s when inspiration struck. She realised her “why”. Lyndsay knew she could give others exactly what her walking stick had given her: confidence, individuality, and a sense of empowerment. And just like that, Neo Walk was born bringing amazing customers and friends from all over the world.

Lyndsay meets @ahotms and @dreadfulkittin in LA

Lyndsay meets friends Brit @hotms and Jami @dreadfulkittin in LA

What started at her kitchen table is now a thriving small family business based in Yorkshire, with walking sticks shipped to over 30 countries. Each stick is hand-made, and designed to be as bold and beautiful as the people who use them. Disrupting the mobility aid market and smashing the stigma that comes with using a walking stick.

But Neo Walk isn’t just about walking sticks—it’s about challenging the stigma surrounding all mobility aids. Lyndsay’s customers, including Hollywood stars Christina Applegate and Selma Blair, are part of a growing movement aiming to redefine what it means to use a mobility aid. “When someone like Christina uses one of our sticks on the red carpet, it sends a powerful message: you’re not broken or diminished because you use a mobility aid. You’re strong. You’re fabulous,” Lyndsay says.

Lyndsay appeared on Dragon's DenLyndsay appeared on Dragon’s Den 2022

Over the years, Lyndsay’s work has garnered recognition far and wide. She’s won multiple business awards, appeared on Dragon’s Den and been celebrated for her contribution to the disabled community. “The awards are lovely, but the real rewards are the messages I get from customers,” she says. Like “‘Your stick made me feel like me again…I hadn’t left the house for 3 years” That’s what keeps me and my amazing team going.

Her journey has also included some other unforgettable moments. She ran away to circus school and performed stunts during the 2012 Paralympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies, including soaring through the air on a trapeze underneath a motorcycle while Coldplay played below her. Follow the link below to watch!

Lyndsay on a trapeze underneath a motorcycle at the Paralympics 2012

https://youtu.be/ytJL6S_zo5o?si=KGEgMdm8HRsB6iVP

And yes, she even had a role in Bad Education: The Movie as Peggy Sue the one-legged stripper. “I mean, who wouldn’t want that on their CV?” she laughs.

Today, Lyndsay is proud of what she’s built—but she’s just as proud of the lessons she’s learned along the way. “Life doesn’t stop being hard just because you’re having some success. I have bad days, really bad days. I have days where I feel like a wreck. I have days where I feel I can’t carry on. But every day, I make the choice to try and thrive in whatever way I can. Some days it’s small, and some days it’s big. Both count. Take the small wins. Getting dressed. Taking a shower. That feels like climbing Everest sometimes.”

Neo Walk is more than a business—it’s a testament to Lyndsay’s belief that mobility aids should never make you feel less than. “Our walking sticks aren’t just functional. They’re tools for empowerment. They’re about saying, ‘I’m here, I’m fabulous, and I deserve to be seen.’

From her wheelchair, working with her amazingly dedicated team, Lyndsay continues to disrupt the mobility aid market, showing the world that disabled people have worth and are an untapped wealth of talent. She’s proof that no matter what life throws at you, you can adapt, rise, and thrive—one fabulous step, roll, or moment at a time.

Today Lyndsay lives in Yorkshire with her two ever disobedient dogs and crazy but cuddly umbrella cockatoo.

 

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