"Reeling Things Back In" – Steve Frost’s Story

In 2021, Steve Frost was cycling through Eastbourne on a familiar route — delivering medication to his mother-in-law. As he approached a roundabout, a van driver pulled back and signalled for him to go ahead. But at the next, much larger roundabout, that same van drove straight into the back of him.

The crash left Steve with a plateau fracture in his leg which required extensive surgery and metalwork. Doctors told him it was one of the worst cases they had seen.

At first, there was hope he’d recover, but complications followed. Painful boils developed on his leg, and when one burst, it led to a dangerous infection. The bacteria had built up around the metal implants, and signs of sepsis began to appear. That’s when Steve was told he would most likely lose the leg.

The above-the-knee amputation was just the beginning of a long journey. Steve experienced phantom pains and the mental challenge of adapting to a new way of living. He was fitted with an NHS prosthetic, which helped him get moving again, but a couple of nasty falls left him feeling unsteady and frustrated.

Before the accident, Steve’s life was full of movement. He loved cycling, ran a children’s fishing club, and spent as much time as possible outdoors — either on the water or helping with local charity events that encouraged kids to get into fishing.

Determined to get back to that version of himself, Steve looked for better support. Through his solicitors, he was introduced to Dorset Orthopaedic’s Ringwood clinic and began working with physiotherapists Connor Murray and Mary Tebb and prosthetist Tory Alexander. He started on the Kenevo microprocessor knee, which offered more stability, before trying the Ottobock Genium X4. “I didn’t want to give it back” Steve recalls. “The Genium X4 has been brilliant,” he says. “I can walk with confidence again — slopes, stairs, it handles it all. I’m back out doing the things I couldn’t do for ages.”

These days, Steve is slowly rebuilding the life he had before the accident. With the help of Connor and Mary he’s back to pier fishing and walking along the seafront. He helps a friend with a gardening business, but most importantly, he’s spending quality time with his wife and grandchildren — who have been his biggest motivation throughout recovery.

Getting back on a bike is still a work in progress, but it’s a goal he hasn’t let go of. And he’s hoping to restart the children’s fishing club that had to pause during COVID.

Looking ahead, Steve’s got one big trip in mind. “I’ve always wanted to go to Australia,” he says. “Seeing Great white sharks — that’s the dream.”

From trauma and setbacks to salt air and open water, Steve’s journey is still ongoing, but he’s reeling things back in, one step at a time.