Amputee Carl Murphy has saluted his prosthetic leg after it helped him win two medals at an international snowboarding competition.

The 28-year-old has just returned from Colorado, where he bagged silver bronze medals in the disabled section of the USA Snowboarding Association Nationals.

Mr Murphy, from Alan Bullock Closecorr in St Clement'scorr, Oxford, wore the "awesome" state-of-the-art prosthetic right leg for the duration of the competition.

He had never worn the prototype limb - the only one of its kind in the world - on real snow before travelling to the contest at the world famous Copper Mountain ski resort.

But the leg's built-in shock absorbers allowed him to perform to his peak and he ended the competition with a bronze medal in the adaptive slalom event and a silver in the adaptive giant slalom.

A fall meant Mr Murphy only finished fourth in a third event - the boarder cross - which he described as a race on a BMX-style course with ramps.

Mr Murphy said: "It is just mindblowing. My first international event and I come away with two medals and a fourth place.

"I am pretty happy with it. I totally blew away my expectations going into my first international event.

"It was a huge achievement for myself, and it sets me up for the next three or four years, knowing I have successfully competed at international level."

Mr Murphy had his right leg amputated above the ankle shortly after birth because of a congenital defect, but has been snowboarding for more than a decade.

He wears a standard-issue fibre glass and carbon fibre leg in day-to-day life but was equipped with a unique carbon fibre limb by New Zealand based Lab Technologies.

The leg is designed to absorb shocks at the ankle, making it move more like a real limb than ordinary artificial legs.

For an extra measure, New Zealand-born Mr Murphy asked a graphic artist friend to decorate the leg in his country's colours.

Mr Murphy said: "The leg was awesome. I did slightly damage it in the boarder cross event but it was still okay for the rest of the events.

"I had a huge amount of interest in the leg from the other riders. I think it has got huge potential once they iron out a few small design faults."

Mr Murphy, who is sponsored by Cowley Road clothing shop SS20 and The Olde Black Horse Inncorr in St Clement's Streetcorr, is now seeking financial support to help him attend the New Zealand Nationals event in July.

He said: "When you have got a physical disability it does not mean you cannot compete in the sport you love. Nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it."