“You never know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice…” It’s a well known quote, but one which is particularly prominent for Leicester’s Sian Green-Lord.
The quote is posted on the 33-year-old’s website, which she uses to promote her services, as both a model and a motivational speaker.
In 2013, Sian lost her left leg after a taxi ploughed into her in New York, changing her life in an instant.
The story of her fight for justice was well-documented at the time, and earlier this year a harrowing, but inspiring documentary called ‘No Fare: The Sian Green Story’ was released, detailing her story and subsequent recovery in full.
Now a wife and mother, Sian has risen above the tragedy and the disability which was forced upon her. Although she admits that she struggled initially, she now uses her story for good, by using her voice to empower others and to let them know that they too can rise above life’s challenges.
As a model, Sian is someone who doesn’t shy away from her amputation, instead choosing to embrace her difference by drawing attention to her prosthetic leg with designer logos and striking footwear.
In 2020, the stylish Leicester resident made headlines by having a bespoke Louis Vuitton prosthetic limb made out of a vintage hand-bag.
She uses her impressive social media platform to show people that disability and fashion can mix, and to share inspiring and empowering words of wisdom, which can help others come to terms with a limb loss.
“When I became an amputee, it took me a while to feel comfortable with my image because my life had changed so dramatically, so fast. I was comparing my life to other people’s that I logically knew were not the same, but my brain still continued to do it anyway,” she revealed.
“The moment I realised that comparison was stealing my happiness, wasting my time and making me respect myself less, I knew it had to stop.
“Remember you only get one mind, body and soul, so treat it well.”
After scrolling her social media, it’s clear that Sian is all about staying positive and making the most of life. Pictures of her on the beach, posing in bikinis, heels and tiny leather skirts, show a happy, stylish and exuberant woman, who radiates confidence – someone who is certainly comfortable in her own skin and owns the life she’s been given.
However, she’s the first to admit that it wasn’t always that way.
“A few years after my amputation, I honestly didn’t know where my mind was at. Some days I was fine and dealing with my new body and the next day I would be so angry, I didn’t want to look in the mirror,” explained Sian, who was studying to be a fashion buyer before her life-changing incident.
“The torment was unexplainable. I would think, how do I learn to love myself, when I can’t even look at my leg? I thought I would never love fashion the same way again…
“However, I found out along the way that I am still the same person, disability or not, and my love of fashion grew stronger,” she went on to reveal.
“My prosthetic leg is part of my identity, and I accept and celebrate my new body at every given chance.
“I own every scar, I celebrate every difference about me and I do it with the simple fact that I am alive.”
The premiere of ‘No Fare: The Sian Green Story,’ took place at Leicester’s Phoenix Cinema back in July.
It was produced by Spoon Jar Films, a Leicester-based production company.
Directed by Matt Holt and produced by Wayne Kelly, it is described as a “personal story of tragedy, courage and hope.”
Sian told Pukaar that she hoped it would inspire people to ‘never give up’ when they were hit by personal tragedy and hard times.
She hailed the filmmaking process as an almost “therapeutic experience,” and applauded the filmmakers for portraying her not as a victim, but a survivor in the documentary, something which was extremely important.
“Bad things happen but it doesn’t have to be the end of your life. I want people to come away with that message and also feeling strong and empowered,” she said.
“In New York, my whole life changed in an instant and everything was stacked against me to become a ball of depression. However, I pushed through and have been forced to adapt.
“A lot of people say to me, ‘I could never do what you have done or what you continue to do,’ but I genuinely think that when you’re pushed to your limit, that’s when you unravel more of yourself and what you’re capable of,” she added. “You’d be surprised at what you can go through, and what you can deal with.
“When you’re put in that situation, your brain, your body, you mind – every single aspect of you will fight, and that’s exactly what I’ve done.”
Sian is currently busy with her new venture, the ‘Sian Green Foundation,’ which helps fund specialised blades for amputees who want to get back into running.
To find out more about the project, visit: www.siangreenfoundation.co.uk
You can follow Sian on Instagram @sianlord_
By Louise Steel
