Arts
Taking the ramp in his stride with a prosthesis
It’s a bright sunny day at the Kingsbury poolside, and Jack Eyers’ attitude mirrors the weather. Winner of the 2017 Mr. England title, this 28-year-old model was in Sri Lanka for the Hameedias fashion show (‘Concept 2018 – CurioCity’ by Fouzul Hameed) as the Envoy London brand ambassador. Speaking to him, one would never imagine that he was anything but confident, witty and charming. However, until just 12 years ago Jack was struggling with Proximal Femoral Focal Deficiency – a rare condition which affected the growth of his leg (and his self-confidence), so much that he decided to have his leg amputated at the age of 16.
Jack Eyers: Decided to get his leg amputated when he was 16. Pic by Indika Handuwala
Jack was convinced of his decision, but his parents were initially hesitant. “They kept saying you can’t pop it back in after you’ve taken it off,” he jokes. Because his leg was extremely painful and offered little function, he knew it was holding him back, and time has proved him correct as his life has improved since. “From that moment on, I’ve had a lot of catching up to do,” he says. First working as a stuntman on films, he was then invited to take part in the 2012 Paralympics opening ceremony, joining ‘Models of Diversity’ soon after. He has taken part in many international fashion shows since then, including New York Fashion Week, the first male amputee to do so. Having won Mr. England in July, the sky seems the limit – and Jack now hopes to win Mr. World.
Jack is determined to raise awareness about the differently abled. “People think I’m really brave going for it (Mr. England), so my goal in life is to change that perception.
Being disabled can be looked at as very vulnerable and ugly and I can change that,” he says. He often wears shorts to show off his prosthetic and encourages questions on his leg. The only way the public can change their perception of disability is by engaging in a dialogue with those who are differently abled, says Jack. Although he does sometimes find his prosthetic painful, Jack says it is a small negative he takes in his stride. When his prosthetic starts hurting, Jack simply focuses on exercising and training harder.
It seems strange to imagine a time when Jack was hesitant to work as a model because he felt he lacked the confidence. This has changed after taking part in many major events, while the support he has received from the public has also helped. “I actually won the publicity round in Mr. England – I got 2000 votes! If I got only about four votes, I might have thought maybe I shouldn’t be doing this,” he says. While he has faced some negativity, with people saying he only won because he is an amputee, Jack brushes such allegations aside. To win Mr. England a contestant must do many things, including raising money for charity and making a YouTube video showcasing his talent, ensuring the winner is multi-talented. “I ticked a lot of those boxes, which is why I won the title,” he says firmly.
Most people would expect that Jack Eyers has seen it all because of his career, but he reveals that ‘CurioCity’ was his first fashion show out of doors. He says he is proud to be the Envoy brand ambassador. “I’m really proud to be wearing the Envoy suit because the material is good and it’s really nice to have a tailored suit that actually fits, I’ve not got the easy shaped body to tailor a suit for and they really made it work,” he says.
Jack stresses that taking up opportunities is important for those who are differently abled. “When you’re disabled or when you have one leg, there are many doors open for you, even more than if you have two legs,” he says. Working on what one finds inspiring and finding a good support system is important, but evolving after making a mistake is vital in his opinion. “Everyone trips up and everyone makes mistakes, and that’s ok so as long as you learn from it… you have to have thick skin,” he says.
Stepping out with confidence: Jack Eyers at the Concept 2018-CurioCity fashion show in Colombo last Sunday