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<\/p>\nBy Meg Kennedy<\/p>\n
Korweinguboora resident Julie Matthews-Eva has never been a stranger to adventure \u2013 from snow-skiing, scuba diving, to flying a plane.<\/p>\n
The thing is, she\u2019s done it all with an artificial leg.<\/p>\n
Now, Ms Matthews-Eva is breaking new ground as the first person in the world to compete at a national level in Ballroom dancing with a bionic leg.<\/p>\n
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After an appearance last month on the Channel Nine reality TV show \u2018This Time Next Year\u2019, Ms Matthews-Eva pledged to dance again. <\/p>\n
A year and a half later, taking up her first dancing lesson in April 2018, Ms Matthews-Eva has gone on to compete nationally in Ballroom dancing; with the waltz, foxtrot, tango and rumba her chosen styles.<\/p>\n
Ms Matthews-Eva was born in New Zealand and moved to a 20-acre property in Korweinguboora with her husband in 2004.<\/p>\n
She lost her left leg on her 16th birthday in 1980, following a diagnosis of bone cancer.<\/p>\n
This led to a rare amputation known as hip disarticulation, which makes up less than one percent of the population of amputees.<\/p>\n
Ms Matthews-Eva is following \u2013 quite literally \u2013 in the footsteps of her parents, who were both ballroom dancers.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was their first date, and then they always ballroom danced; my sisters ballroom danced, but I never really got the opportunity\u2026although I danced around the living room\u2026I always wanted to, and never could, and never thought I could, and now I can.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Matthews-Eva\u2019s dream led to ground-breaking work to allow her to dance. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt takes a long time to get prosthetics right, and this is the first, therefore the limb centre I\u2019m working with, its new for them, they\u2019re never done it before either,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
In the 39-years since her amputation, Ms Matthews-Eva says there has been a noticeable shift in the societal acceptance of people living with a visible disability.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn 1980, you hid your disability. You wore a cosmetic cover, and you really didn\u2019t tell people you had an artificial leg, you just wore trousers, or you wore an artificial stocking,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhereas now, you have it on full display and you go \u2018look at me\u2019 \u2013 and that\u2019s really come about because of the heroes from the war, and from athletes, who now show their disability.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe public are generally more accepting, so I think that\u2019s quite different from when I lost my leg.\u201d<\/p>\n
Due to the design of her new leg, Ms Matthews-Eva has chosen not to wear a cosmetic cover as it would impede her ability to dance.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve now got commando leg; so, the bionic woman, robot woman, I get those sorts of comments, and kids now go \u2018Wow, look at that, that\u2019s really cool\u2019\u201d, she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, I have actually chosen to not wear it and say \u2018Okay, well I\u2019ll just own it.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n
Although she\u2019s already become the \u2018first\u2019 at something, Ms Matthews-Eva\u2019s thirst for adventure continues, with plans to ride a three-wheeled motorcycle around Australia and write a book.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to tour Australia\u2026get my driver\u2019s licence\u2026and I\u2019ll probably travel around with the dog on the back, so that\u2019s maybe the next challenge,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
As for what she would tell her younger self, Ms Matthews-Eva joked to \u201ckeep the weight off!\u201d, as getting her new leg meant having to lose 20-kilograms.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve always had the mantra of just one day at a time, I\u2019ve woken up, I\u2019m breathing, it\u2019s a good day,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut I would remind myself just make the best of every single day you get given. Because of none of us know\u2026is a bus going to come and collect you? Is it going to be an aeroplane crash? Or is it going to be cancer or something else? None of us know that. <\/p>\n
\u201cSo, love life passionately, and just do everything to the full\u2026just try anything, just absolutely try anything.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Matthews-Eva hopes her story has inspired more people, no matter their ability, to put on their dancing shoes.<\/p>\n
\u201c[Dancing] is not just physical, it\u2019s emotional, it helps with mental health. I think it\u2019s really important, it\u2019s actually proven that it can wind the clock back in Alzheimer\u2019s and Dementia, and I don\u2019t think people realise that,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just encourage anybody to take it on and to try.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ms Matthews-Eva\u2019s episode is available to stream online at 9Now on www.9now.com.au\/this-time-next-year\/season-2\/episode-6.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By Meg Kennedy Korweinguboora resident Julie Matthews-Eva has never been a stranger to adventure \u2013 from snow-skiing, scuba diving, to flying a plane. The thing is, she\u2019s done it all with an artificial leg. Now, Ms Matthews-Eva is breaking new ground as the first person in the world to compete at a national level in […]<\/p>\n