The fastest female sprinter in the world has no legs from the knee down. Let that sink in for a minute.

Aimee Mullins was born without fibular bones, and had both of her legs amputated below the knee when she was an infant. She learned to walk on prosthetics, then to run — competing at the national and international level as a champion sprinter, and setting world records at the 1996 Paralympics in Atlanta. At Georgetown, where she double-majored in history and diplomacy, she became the first double amputee to compete in NCAA Division 1 track and field.

Oh…and a few more things: she’s also a model, an actress, a sought-after public speaker, and, of course, an Olympic athlete. Today, we’ll meet Aimee Mullins, the woman with the famous “cheetah legs”, engineered prosthesis designed by studying how the legendary cats get their speed.