Team

We’re a small team here at FYF, with just one full-time staff member and 9 part-timers, each as dedicated as the last and undertaking many more hours than they’re paid for. Read on to find out who we are and what we do.

In addition to the day-to-day team, FYF has the support of 8 Trustees who bring with them a wealth of business expertise.

Chris Woodward-Clark (Kristof Ironleg)

Christopher Woodward-Clark became a right below-knee amputee following a motorbike accident in 2017. A father, gym enthusiast and lifelong motorcycle fan, Chris credits structure, routine and fitness as key factors in helping him adjust and rebuild after amputation.

Training became a way for Chris to regain both physical and mental strength, and he went on to specialise in strength sport, particularly strongman and powerlifting. Competing under the name Ironleg, he has established himself within disabled strength sport through consistent training and competition.

Chris is a Global Powerlifting Committee (GPC) World Record holder, an International Powerlifting League (IPL) British Record holder, and a World Deadlifting Council (WDC) World Record holder. He has also placed 3rd at Britain’s Strongest Disabled Man competition. He continues to compete regularly, with upcoming events including WDC Scottish Record Breakers and England’s Strongest Disabled Man.

Alongside competing, Chris is passionate about growing disability sport and encouraging more people affected by amputation or limb difference to get active in ways that work for them. His long-term aim is to continue competing in strongman events while developing his coaching work in powerlifting.

Chris shares his training and competition journey on social media under @kristof_ironleg on Instagram and @ironleg97 on TikTok.

Callum Deboys

Callum Deboys, 26 from Prestwick in Scotland. A motorcycle crash that resulted in the loss of his leg would change his life forever. Originally a chef working at the prestigious Trump Turnberry hotel, Callum has always had a drive to prove himself. Back in 2017, his life was to change forever after a horrific motorcycle accident that would result in him having to have his leg amputated.

For many this would be the end, the start of a downward spiral but not for Callum, he saw it not only as a blessing but an opportunity. This opportunity would go on to see him represent Great Britain at the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympics to become the youngest British Para Nordic skier.

“Challenge yourself – it’s the only path which leads to growth.” – Morgan Freeman

This is a good quote to introduce his most recent adventure, one that for a while he never thought would be possible. When given the opportunity to compete in a Gordon Ramsay cooking competition, most would shy away with fear, but not Callum. After the loss of his leg, he thought it would be too difficult to work in a professional kitchen due to the amount of standing and walking required. The long hours and physical demands on his legs would be too much, but he saw this as a way to test his abilities in the kitchen once again and he jumped at the opportunity to grow.

“My accident has taught me a lot of valuable life lessons – we have to go through tough times to grow and flourish. We have to seek opportunity – it doesn’t come to those who sit and wait.”

Check out Callum’s first blog about how his training has been through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Brian Murray

Brian Murray lost his leg at the age of 11 after being diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a tumour in his knee. Sport has been part of his life ever since, but it was in 2015 that he discovered amputee football while playing with Everton Amputees, a turning point that helped him gain a new found confidence.

Brian went on to captain both Partick Thistle Amputee Football Club and the Scotland Amputee Football Team. Over the years, he represented Scotland 32 times, including 19 matches as captain, travelling internationally to compete in countries such as Ireland, the Netherlands and Italy. Reflecting on his journey, Brian describes it as something he could never have imagined when he lost his leg as a child.

Although Brian has now stepped away from international football, sport remains a central part of his life. He continues to play club football and is deeply involved in developing the next generation of players. As a junior amputee football coach, Brian runs regular training sessions and supports young players as they grow in confidence and ability. He also attends international junior camps, bringing together dozens of young amputees from across Europe and beyond, helping them feel part of a wider sporting community.

Alongside football, Brian and his wife Valerie, who is also a below-knee amputee, have embraced wheelchair pickleball together. Discovering a new sport has allowed them both to stay active and competitive, and Brian has already taken part in league games, finding the same enjoyment and drive that sport has always given him. He is passionate about encouraging other amputees to try new activities and find what works for them.

Brian continues to live by the belief that staying active, trying new things and being part of a supportive community can make a huge difference after amputation.

Martin Perry

Martin Perry is from Paisley, 24 years old, and was born with one limb. No hands and almost half of his left leg were missing at birth. The condition is known as congenital limb loss/deformity. He has been active and sporty his entire life and played a variety of sports including football, basketball, rugby and athletics before finding table tennis. After being inspired by the London 2012 Paralympic Games, Martin made the decision to give everything he had to the sport. He is now living and training in Sheffield aiming to represent Paralympics GB at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.

 

Check out Martin’s first blog about his journey from being born with no hands and one leg, to living his best life and competing for the GB Paralympics Table Tennis Team.

Hope Gordon

Hope Gordon was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) following years of pain in her left leg. When the leg stopped working after nearly a decade of treatment which unfortunately didn’t help, Hope courageously crowdfunded for surgery and had the leg amputated in 2016.

She was a member of the Scottish swimming team from 2010 until 2018, competing at national and international level competitions, before going on to try canoeing and was then invited to train full-time with the GB para canoe team. She decided to call it a day on competitive swimming and relocated to Nottingham in 2018, after graduating with a 2.1 Honours degree in Sport and Exercise Science from Edinburgh Napier University. In 2021 Hope became a double World Championship silver medalist, adding an additional Worlds silver in 2022.

2022 was a busy year which followed with silver and bronze at the European Championships. Hope also became the first-ever female to represent Paralympics GB in Nordic Skiing at the 2022 Winter Paralympics in Beijing.

Check out GB Team Paralympic Nordic Skiing and Rower Hope’s first blog about her battle with chronic pain in her leg which led Hope to choose amputation and how she’s been getting on since.

Adam Donnachie

Adam Donnachie was born with amniotic band syndrome, which left both of his legs being underdeveloped. This led to minor amputations at 9 months old in 2001. He is a left leg below-the-knee and right leg through-the-knee amputee. He received his first prosthetics at two years old and his sporting journey began in 2007 after learning to swim in 1-on-1 lessons. This progressed quickly, joining his first club and starting to compete at 9 years old when he joined the Scottish Para Junior swimming squad. He made his first appearance for Scotland in Sheffield in 2012 and continued to do so until 2018. In that time, he broke multiple Breaststroke and Freestyle Scottish Records and won two Senior Medals. In 2016 he started playing Wheelchair Basketball and represented Scotland for 3 years at junior level, winning medals with the team. In 2020 he began a Sport Studies degree at Stirling University which saw him move to Stirling. In 2021 He started Athletics doing seated throws where he quickly rose to Scottish and UK number one, gaining his international Classification, Scottish and British titles and competing at the Wanda Diamond League as part of Team Scotland Achieve Programme. His goal is to represent Scotland or Great Britain at major Championships.

Davy Hutton

Davy is the Founder and Director of Quicksale Property Auctions, a unique estate agency and property auction company which deals with a range of hard-to-sell and quirky properties. He has become a leading voice in the industry in Scotland and is regularly invited to speak at events across the country as well as being a recognisable voice on the radio. Despite being Director of the company, Davy sees each property personally and often helps clients not only with the selling of their property but also overall finance management and personal guidance.

In 2003, Davy purchased Law Castle in West Kilbride. The Castle is a fifteenth century building which he restored and renovated to become one of Scotland’s most historic holiday homes which facilitates weddings and events and increases tourism in the local area. Prior to Quicksale and Law Castle, Davy owned and operated the successful Howwood Inn pub. He is considered one of Scotland’s successful entrepreneurs, and mentors many others on the rise.

Davy is Cor’s brother, and was instrumental in both her recovery and the formation of Finding Your Feet. As well as general business expertise and contacts, Davy is our bank signatory and contributes significantly to the strategic evolution and day-to-day running of the charity and is an active voice to raise awareness and draw attention to it’s mission.

 

Scott Hutton

Scott is a partner at Middle East law firm, EKP. He practices in construction and commercial property law and is based in Dubai. He also deals with all property related matters including sales, purchases, landlord and tenant and investment legal issues.

Scott qualified in Scotland and has since worked in Ireland and Dubai. His practice takes him across the Middle East but home is now Dubai where he lives with his wife Emma and two boys.

Scott lectures on property matters at the Dubai Real Estate Institute and  sits on the Independent Governance Committee (IGC) for the Responsible Sourcing of Gold and Precious Metals in DMCC, which accounts for approximately 25% of global gold trade.

He was recommended by the Legal 500 for “attention to detail, in-depth knowledge of the applicable laws and interpretation of the law’s application in the commercial environment of Dubai.” He was also named a “rising star” in the 2nd Edition of the “Guide to the World’s Leading Construction Lawyers.” He was also a keen rugby player and is a former captain of Glasgow Hawks RFC and Old Belvedere RFC (Dublin).

Scott is also Cor’s younger brother and was instrumental in setting up Finding Your Feet and supporting Cor with her recovery. Scott provides the charity with invaluable legal advice as well as strategic direction.

Charles Afuakwah

BDS (Glasg.), MSc (Dent Sci), MJDF (RCS Eng)

Chas qualified as a dentist from the University of Glasgow in 1989 and has since become partner in a family dental practice in Port Glasgow where he has held the position of Principal Dentist and sole owner in the practice since 1991. Throughout his life Chas has been a keen rugby union player and served as President of Glasgow Hawks rugby club.

Chas was inspired to help FYF after being amazed at Cor’s resilience in the face of her adversity following her quadruple amputation in 2013. He became a Trustee when the charity was founded, and has been overwhelmed by the way Cor has used her circumstances to effect positive change in the way amputees are viewed by society.

Jan Cerretti

Jan has worked in media for a number of years now. Her role at her current agency, Republic of Media, is Broadcast Account Director where she works across a wide variety of clients and manages the Broadcast Department. On a day to day basis Jan recommends Broadcast strategies/manages campaigns on TV, BVOD and Cinema for clients such as The Scottish Government, Drumond Park Board Games, SAMH, Velux, Air Transat and Boe Gin.

When she’s not being a busy mum to her 4 kids, Jan runs a non-profit making ‘movement and music class’ for kids with disabilities called Jazzy Movers. Jan is our Safeguarding representative on the Board and also volunteers at Finding Your Feet clubs, as well as shares information to amputees across the UK and helping out as an administrator in our social media groups. Her daughter, Keeley, was one of our first Junior Troopers, meaning Jan has felt the benefits of the work that Finding Your Feet does and is in a perfect position to raise awareness and spread the word. She is also a great source of information to guide our work with young amputees.

Christine Skinner

Christine Skinner is a retired Senior Lecturer in Podiatry. Her career spanned a number of years at Glasgow Caledonian University where she led programmes in Podiatry at undergraduate and postgraduate level. Her teaching and research interests focused on Diabetic Foot Disease where her key achievements included lead involvement in establishing the Scotland’s first multi-disciplinary Diabetic Foot Clinic at (the now) Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Glasgow as well as numerous research and consultancy projects for educational institutions and the World Health Organisation across the Middle East and Asia.

Christine maintains an active interest in her medical field and has continued her involvement with the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons in Glasgow where she has held a number of offices during her career. In testament to her standing and commitment Christine was elected Dean Elect to the Faculty in 2019 and in June 2020 she took on the prestigious role of Dean which she held until May 2023.

Christine has volunteered for the charity for many years. She has worked with Troopers both individually and in a group setting to provide advice on foot care and Podiatry in general. Her wealth of contacts and expertise in a medical field with clear links to amputees is hugely beneficial for the charity, and she is a guiding voice on our medical related campaigns and initiatives, as well as our bank signatory. On top of that, Christine makes a weekly appearance at our Ampu-Teas sessions, helping out with teas, coffees and home baking as well as spending valuable time with the FYF Troopers.

Greg Girard

Greg is the managing director of CX Services. The CX stands for Customer’s eXperience and it is the main ethos of how Greg operates – providing clients with a seamless extension of their business to their customers. Greg has been working in direct marketing for over 25 years and has helped businesses in many sectors deliver outstanding Customer eXperience. 

Before CX Services, he worked for Database Direct which operated a similar service – print and fulfilment. Having a knack for IT and a manager who was constantly looking to him for solutions, Greg quickly became adept at using technology – learning how to use networks, cabling and production printers.

Having worked his way through the company to technical director he completed a management buyout in 2017. In 2019 he brought on two partners and rebranded the company as CX Services. Over the past 5 years, CX Services has continued to build on the 25 years of knowledge of handling customer experience for several clients. 

Greg was truly inspired by Cor’s story after hearing her speak and immediately knew he had to get involved with FYF to support the work she does. He started by taking part in our FYF Firewalk, then our “Ugly” Christmas Jumper day and he’s super keen to be more involved going forward as a Trustee – and we’re chuffed to have him on board. 

Seyda Oates

Şeyda (pronounced Sh-eyda) became a double below-knee amputee at 21 following a bacterial meningitis diagnosis in 2019. In the years that followed, she spent time on haemodialysis while completing her university studies, before receiving a life-saving kidney transplant from her mother in 2022.

What Şeyda brings to Finding Your Feet is something that can’t be taught. She knows what it’s like to face limb absence as a young person, to navigate the parts of that journey that don’t come with a guide, and to keep building a life anyway. She joined as a trustee with a clear purpose: to help build the support system she wishes she’d had, helping younger Troopers navigate life’s hurdles and find their independence on their own terms.

Now 27, Şeyda is also passionate about movement and creativity, whether that’s functional fitness, dance or other creative outlets. She’s a welcome addition to the FYF community, and a voice that matters.

Cor Hutton

Cor lost her hands and feet to sepsis back in 2013 and set up our charity to offer peer support to amputees in all stages of their life and journey. She can be found spreading the word about FYF and visiting new Troopers. Cor also meets with health, education and NHS personnel, and is a motivational speaker. Despite being a triathlete and world record holder, when it comes to making tea or coffee she’s quick to play the ‘amputee’ card…

[email protected]

Nicola Booth

Nic keeps everything running at Finding Your Feet – the team regularly receive emails from her at 4 am… She’s in charge of strategic planning, oversees the day-to-day running of our charity and is the point of contact for initial enquiries. The only time she stops working is to have a laughing fit at her favourite joke: “What’s Cor short for?  Cos she’s got no legs!”

[email protected]

Lesley Lawrie

Les is a below-knee amputee who volunteered for the charity before coming onboard. She is now the manager of our Well-being Team, coordinating all of the support we provide for amputees both in person across Scotland and online. In other words, Les is very important and very busy. When she’s not working on that, she’s kept busy having to explain her Fife slang to the rest of the group. Who is this Ken she always speaks of?

[email protected]

Rebecca Terrey

After a stint in fundraising, Becca absolutely found her calling as our Well-being Co-ordinator and now hosts clubs at our HQ, helps organise new activities and gets to know anyone coming along for the first time. She loves a holiday, so take your pick of the puns: life’s a beach, long time no sea, I’m on a cruise so I don’t give a ship, and so on… Becca has a Barbie calendar in the office, which must make Les Ken? (Joke only works if you have also read Les’ bio above)

[email protected]

Gordon MacDougall

After volunteering as a Peer Supporter and handling check-in calls with Troopers, Gordon was the perfect fit as our Well-being Engagement Officer. He’s an above-knee amputee and uses his experience to raise the spirit of the amputees he calls and ensures they know we’re there for them. When he’s not chatting to the Troopers, you’ll often find him winding up someone in the team – they probably had it coming – right?

[email protected]

Lewis Flynn

Lewis first joined us on placement while studying for his Social Care University Course and we knew straight away he was a keeper. We had to have him back. As a below-knee amputee himself, he brings lived experience, fresh ideas, and the kind of energy that’s hard to ignore (or keep up with). Now officially part of our Well-being Team, Lewis is big on fitness, big on getting our Troopers moving, and is busy connecting with other organisations to learn how they support amputees and make what we do even better. He’s basically a local celebrity in the office. We’re not saying he’s got main character energy… but if the shoe fits.

[email protected]

Stacie Ward

Stacie came on board working in the FYF Hub and has since become a Well-being Assistant, quietly keeping everything running behind the scenes, making sure our data is up to date and our systems are in order. She also loves a good chat with our Troopers. She’s obsessed with Marvel movies, but I bet she never thought that fact would end up on the web… Because Spiderman… He’s in with the Avengers… Forget it.

[email protected]

Lisa Denmark

Lisa is our Well-being Co-ordinator and, as an amputee who’s been part of the Finding Your Feet community for a few years, joining the team feels like a very natural fit. She gets out and about at our clubs, gets to know our Troopers, secures new venues and brings fresh ideas for new activities. Lisa has completed two cold water dip challenges for us in Loch Lomond. We think that says enough about her.

[email protected]

 

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