Born without fibulae in both legs, Aimee Mullins was told she would never walk, and would likely spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair. Her doctors really wanted to give her a chance at independent mobility, so they amputated both her legs below the knee on her first birthday. Good call. It wasn’t long before Aimee mastered walking on prosthetic legs and was running around doing athletic activities alongside other kids.

Aimee went on to become the first amputee in history to compete in the NCAA as part of Georgetown’s nationally ranked Division I track team. Today, she speaks regularly at corporations and global conferences, and spends much of her time assisting non-profit organizations like the Women’s Sports Foundation (founded by the legendary Billie Jean King).

Hear her words of wisdom from when she took the TED stage by storm to share what it’s like living with her 12 pairs of prosthetic legs.