My journey to the New York marathon has now begun in earnest with training underway.
The journey first began when I was visiting the Burwood Spinal unit for my 18 month check up. During the check up I discussed my problems with neuropathic pain that had been troubling me. I explained how physical activity seemed to help with the pain. Rick Acland the doctor then chip in and suggested that if I wanted to get active then why not train for the New York marathon? He then explained how he was a patron of the Catwalk Trust. Catwalk funds spinal cord injury research and one of its fundraisers has people going to the New York marathon. Brilliant, I can get fit and reduce my pain while raising money for spinal cord research and go to New York!!
From here it would have been easy to dream a bit and then let things slide and not do this amazing thing. However within a few days of my visit to Burwood I found myself doing a presentation at the Z Energy safety days in Wellington. My task at the safety days was to tell my story of being a very active normal bloke one moment to a T10 paraplegic the next by falling out of a tree. Putting together and telling my story was a really good experience for me which was made even more special with the feedback I got from the people I spoke to. Z Energy then insisted that they would like to show their appreciation in some way and it was then that I suggested that they might be able to help get me to the New York marathon. What happened next blew me away; Z Energy launched a give a little page and people who attended the safety days donated almost $3,000!!! Z Energy then matched this and all of a sudden I had 5800 reasons why I should go to New York! Thank you to all the people who donated and thank you Z Energy - I don't intend to let you down.
Since then I have managed to secure a racing wheelchair from Parafed Canterbury that I will be hiring for my training. I have also managed to launch my training with the help of my new friend Denise and others. Due to the position in the chair I require assistance to get in. I also have had my helper travel along side me on a bike to guard me from the traffic.
More will follow.....
Hi Terry it was great to hear your story on Safety day it got a lot of people thinking about how we take on everyday tasks and how we can do them safer not just at work but at home as well. (no more changing the light bulb while standing on the back of the couch).
ReplyDeleteI look forward to following your progress, keep up the good work and train hard, crossing the finish line at a marathon is an awesome feeling.