"People will probably notice in the villa I have slightly short Achilles tendons on my heel so I walk slightly on my tip toes, I look at it as natural swagger."
Hugo Hammond is the first disabled contestant on the hit reality series "Love Island." He recently said that he didn't want to be defined by his clubfoot in an interview.
 |
| Credit: Hugo Hammond/Instagram |
Hugo, a Hampshire resident, told MailOnline that viewers would likely notice that he walks on his tip toes, something that is even more obvious when he is barefoot. The hunk was born with his legs twisted and backward.
 |
| Credit: Hugo Hammond/Instagram |
According to Hugo, he underwent 20 surgeries for correction before turning eight. However, he said it's a part of who he is that he wouldn't change for anything.
"I was born with clubfoot; I was basically born with my legs twisted round and backwards," he said. "My hips were in and my leg bones were twisted and my feet were backwards."
"I had around 20 correction operations before the age of eight, so that was pretty heavy and hardcore," Hugo added. "If I'm on my feet all day doing whatever I'll want to sit down in the evening but I'm pretty sure that's the same for everyone, obviously I can't compare it.
 |
| Credit: Hugo Hammond/Instagram |
"People will probably notice in the villa I have slightly short Achilles tendons on my heel so I walk slightly on my tip toes, I look at it as natural swagger – some people look at it as a slightly different walk. Not too many people notice when I'm in shoes; it's usually when I don't have shoes on.
"Day to day life it doesn't really affect me too much – I'm very lucky. I wouldn't change it for the world because it's part of who I am and I've had some great experiences."
For the critics that think Hugo was only chosen because of his disability and as part of ITV's drive to be more diverse, the PE teacher reiterated that his character won over the casting team.
 |
| Credit: Hugo Hammond/Instagram |
According to The Sun, Hugo is an Oxford Brookes University graduate and was a cricketer for England PD (Physical Disability).
He is an experienced traveler, having toured in Bangladesh as well as Dubai with his team. He has a very colorful Instagram page filled with family, fun, and sports photos.
You can share this post!