it's only a leg

'Will I be able to ski?'

It was the only question nine-year-old Michael Milton cared about when the doctors told him he would lose his leg to bone cancer. Michael grew up in a skiing family and was on the snow from just three years of age. 'Skiing was my priority and when they showed me a video of a one-legged guy skiing, I knew what I wanted to do,' said Michael.

He was just 14 when he skied in his first international competition - the 1988 winter Paralympic Games in Innsbruck, Austria.

'What an eye-opener that was,' said Michael. 'I learned so much and had a great time. I think even then I wanted to be the best. Since then I've been following the winter around the world.'

He likes to meet and talk with disabled kids - especially if they are cancer survivors.

'I know how tough the recovery can be - not just physically but mentally as well. It's important that they find their place in the world. I can help them understand that they don't have to let their disability disable their dreams,' Michael said.

Michael underwent fourteen months of intense chemotherapy before his left leg was amputated.

'I try to talk really honestly about the whole thing - the operation, how I felt then and how I feel now. Kids are so curious. They want to know and I'm happy to fill them in.'

'Afterall it's only a leg. The really important things in life are family, friends and having fun. None of those things have anything to do with how many legs you have.

'It's never really stopped me from doing anything!'