Alton Towers amputee Leah Washington has revealed how difficult it was to go out in public for the first time after losing her leg in the 2015 Alton Towers crash.
The pretty 20-year-old, from Barnsley, told followers of her blog that she couldn’t conceive a day after the accident in which she might be seen ‘going out in public with my prosthetic leg and wearing a bikini.’
However, Leah, who is still dating boyfriend Joe Pugh, who was beside her on the Smiler ride when it crashed, says she now wants to help others who have ‘struggled with body confidence.’
Leah Washington, from Barnsley (pictured with boyfriend Joe Pugh) lost her leg in the Smiler crash at Alton Towers in June 2015. In a new blog post, the 20-year-old has revealed how difficult it was to go out in public with her prosthetic leg following the accident
Leah, pictured with friends on holiday, revealed to followers that she thought she would never be confident enough to wear her prosthetic leg and a bikini on a sunshine holiday – but says: ‘I never thought I would do it but I DID’
Leah was just 17 when she boarded the Smiler rollercoaster carriage with Joe, which smashed into a stationary train at the Staffordshire theme park in June 2015.
In a new blog on her website, Leah wrote: ‘After my accident in 2015 I was 17, going out in public for the first time it was very daunting.
‘I thought I cannot let this accident stop me from doing things and with my worries I did go out in public. People would look and point and it was very hard for me and my parents.’
The 20-year-old revealed that a holiday to Cape Verde in January 2016 proved a turning point.
Holiday fun: The 20-year-old has posted several shots of herself wearing a bikini on her Instagram account. Right: Leah says she hopes she can encourage others to ‘live your life how you want to live it’
Leah and Joe, who suffered two shattered kneecaps in the incident, have stayed together after the tragedy occurred on their first official date
‘My biggest problem was going out in public with my prosthetic leg and wearing a bikini and I never thought I would do it but I DID!’
Leah then explained how she now hopes to inspire others into being more confident about the way they look.
She writes: ‘You need to do things for yourself, not for others and ignore what other people think and live your life how you want to live it.
‘Everyone has their own issues, you just may not know about it, not everyone is perfect.’
An investigation into the 2015 accident concluded that the crash was due to human error. An engineer had wrongly restarted the ride while a stationary carriage was on the track in front of it.