Amanda, age 57, is a highly decorated, retired Metropolitan Police officer. She was a qualified fast response driver, authorised firearms officer and sexual offence investigator. She retired in 1997 having been assaulted on duty resulting in significant back injuries. Amanda’s awards include the Met Commissioners Commendation for bravery and dedication to duty in the pursuit of four armed robbers. She has also received a Royal Humane Society Resuscitation Award for reviving a prisoner in custody.

After leaving the police, Amanda met her husband and went on to have two children. Amanda then joined the ambulance service as a 999-call taker before becoming a Serious Incident Investigator. Amanda now investigates national NHS complaints with the aim of improving patient safety.

In 2017, Support Dogs trained Amanda’s dog Jupiter to be her disability assistance dog and she has never looked back. Jupiter is now retired and lives at home with Amanda’s new assistance dog, Chris (a three-year-old fox red labrador). As a volunteer for Support Dogs, Amanda has gone up a mountain and done a marathon.

Inspired by the independence having an assistance dog gave Amanda, she took up compound archery. Team GB soon selected Amanda for the Para potential programme and she began competing around the country. Amanda went on to beat the world number one para-archer (and Japan gold medallist) at the British Disability Archery Championships. She also held two British para-archery records. Amanda stopped shooting when Jupiter injured his back and had to retire suddenly. Amanda now classes herself as the retired assistance dog’s assistant!

Amanda is new to modelling having attended a shoot to promote Support Dogs. She was recently in a Vogue Italia article showing the empowerment of fashion in disability as part of the International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Amanda’s hobbies are walking Chris and Jupiter, and she is learning Japanese as well as British sign language.