Sir Paul McCartney’s ex-wife Heather Mills has revealed she broke her prosthetic leg brace during an ‘unlucky’ skiing accident this week.
The former model and Paralympic skier, 57, who was married to the Beatles legend for six years until 2008, shared the news as she reflected on her dramatic start to 2026.
Heather, who lost her left leg below the knee after being struck by a police motorcycle in London in 1993, was skiing in Hinterglemm, Austria, during a work trip for her health food brand, No Bloat.
Her spokesperson told the Daily Mail: ‘On the very last day of the last run, the slope was empty so Heather decided to gain some speed, which was a little bit too much for her leg brace.
‘It came away as the screws released, leading Heather to a crash. Luckily, nothing was broken, but she has to stay on crutches for five days until the swelling of her residual limb goes down.’
Vegan activist Heather shared a photo on Instagram of herself after the accident, looking resilient in an orange ski suit and sunglasses while standing beside her friend Maja.
Sir Paul McCartney’s ex-wife Heather Mills has revealed she broke her prosthetic leg brace during a skiing accident in the New Year
Heather competed for the British Disabled Ski Team from 2010 to 2013, winning multiple World Cup medals as a British adaptive skier (pictured in 2010)
‘I hope everyone’s New Year has got off to a great start,’ she captioned the post, adding she was ‘lucky’ to escape largely unharmed.
Despite the setback, the former Dancing on Ice star completed the photoshoot on orange crutches the following day.
Her spokesperson added: ‘Heather will have to go back to the prosthetic clinic to have the brace fixed. Luckily, the leg itself did not break so it’s just a couple of hours to get it fixed.
‘Even though the clinic glue the screws, the force and movement of skiing at speed spin the screws over time, so it was just unlucky. Heather was thankful it was the last run of the day on the last day.’
The incident took place just days after Heather, who lives in Brighton, East Sussex, spent Christmas with her partner, film producer and actor Mike Dickman, 39.
The couple – who went on a festive holiday to New York last month – were first linked in 2019 after meeting on a train, and have been seen together at various public events over the years, including the premiere of The Flying Dutchman in Vienna last summer.
During an appearance on ITV’s Lorraine in 2024, Heather said: ‘I don’t really talk about him because I really respect people’s privacy, but yeah, met on a train. It doesn’t have to be a dating app, just go and chat to people.’
Heather competed for the British Disabled Ski Team from 2010 to 2013, winning multiple World Cup medals as a British adaptive skier.
The former model lost her left leg below the knee after being struck by a police motorcycle in London in 1993 (pictured in hospital following the accident)
Heather famously split from Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney in 2006, after four years of marriage and they share daughter Beatrice Milly McCartney, now 21 (pictured in 2002)Â
She had set her sights on representing Great Britain at the 2014 Sochi Paralympics, but was forced to withdraw after a dispute with the International Paralympic Committee over her custom prosthetic ski boot.
The disagreement over equipment regulations ultimately ended her Paralympic dreams, with Heather also facing claims of verbal abuse against an official, which she denied.
Despite the setback, she continued to push boundaries in adaptive skiing, and in 2023 was officially recognised as the fastest disabled female skier in the world after clocking a staggering speed of 102.5mph in Vars, south-east France, in 2015.
The record-breaking achievement was recognised in the Guinness Book of World Records, cementing her status as a pioneering athlete.
Her spokesperson added: ‘Heather tries to go skiing once a year and would love to go more, but running her numerous businesses and charities does not make it possible.
The incident took place just days after Heather, who lives in Brighton, East Sussex, spent Christmas with her partner, film producer and actor Mike Dickman (pictured in July)
Heather was officially recognised as the fastest disabled female skier in the world after clocking a staggering speed of 102.5mph in Vars, south-east France, in 2015
‘It is her absolute favourite sport and way to relax so in the future she hopes to get more skiing in. She has no plans to ski unless someone beats her world record.’
Heather has been a tireless advocate for amputee rights and prosthetic limb technology since her life-changing accident more than three decades ago, frequently speaking about the daily challenges of living with a prosthetic leg.
She launched her No Bloat brand – a line of healthy, vegan, gut-friendly ready meals – last autumn after growing frustrated with lack of options for people like herself living with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Heather shot to global fame when she married Sir Paul, 83, in 2002 after meeting by chance at the Pride of Britain Awards in 1999. Their shared passion for charity work led to a whirlwind romance, with the couple becoming engaged two years after meeting.
They tied the knot in front of 300 guests at a church on the grounds of Ireland’s 17th-century Castle Leslie on 11 June 2002.
Four years later, their marriage ended in a bitter divorce, with a joint statement citing that they had ‘found it increasingly difficult to maintain a normal relationship with constant intrusion into our private lives.’
Heather was awarded a £24.3million settlement in the highly-publicised 2008 split.
