It was a moment. A single moment. And after that, nothing was the same anymore. At the age of 17, Christoffer Lindhe lost both legs and his left arm in a train accident. His body was severely injured and the prognosis was grim: a one per cent chance of survival. For many, that would have been the end. For Christoffer, it was a beginning – albeit a painful one.

‘When I woke up, I knew my life had changed forever,’ he recalls.

What followed was no quick hero's journey. It was a slow, brutal road back to everyday life. Rehabilitation was hard. Every bit of progress had to be fought for. And yet, with every small step, his determination not to let his circumstances define him grew.

The body had limits – but the mind did not

Christoffer found new stability in swimming. The water became a place of freedom, achievement and self-efficacy. He made it onto the Paralympic team and became an international competitive swimmer. But sport was only the beginning.

Technology as a means, not an end

Christoffer realised that if the existing prostheses did not fit his life, he had to take action himself. He studied product development, founded his own company and developed a prosthesis that suited his lifestyle. One that not only ‘works’ but really supports him. Suitable for everyday use. Robust. Flexible. For a life with ambition, not limitations.

‘I didn't want a product that reminded me of my limitations – I wanted one that gave me new possibilities.’

With his company Lindhe Xtend, his YouTube channel about life with amputation and as founder of the patient organisation AmpisLiv, he is now committed to helping others follow similar paths. Technology should be designed for people – not the other way around.

Inspiration that works

Christoffer Lindhe will open the I.S.P.O. 20th World Congress 2025 with a very special message: On Monday, 16 June 2025, starting at 9:30 a.m. in the Victoria Hall, he will give the IC2A Inspirational Lecture as part of the Opening Ceremony.

In his lecture ‘Challenging limits, creating opportunities,’ he will talk about his journey from survival to self-determination – and about the power of not just accepting limits, but pushing them. He will show what is possible when those affected, technology experts and caregivers think ahead together. And why personal experience is often the strongest driver of real innovation.

Christoffer Lindhe stands for more than just hope. He stands for the will to shape the future. For change. For the future of orthopaedic treatment and care – with people at the centre.