7 June 2004, after a successful and fun day climbing, I stood on the edge of the track. It collapsed and I fell 15 meters.
As an avid rock climber, mountaineer, mountain biker, tramper (that’s the kiwi word for hiker) I didn’t want my fall and broken back to stop me doing the things I loved.
My right leg was partially paralysed and I needed an ankle foot orthotic (AFO) to walk.
Walking with the AFO was painful, the hard plastic would rub. Climbing mountains and long tramps were impossible due to the pain and fatigue. Plus I fell over a lot because AFO held my foot ridgid and I couldn’t place if securely.
So I began climbing steeper ice/rock mountain routes with short access routes. (usually in Europe where the access is easier than NZ). It was still hard but I was in the mountains and that’s what mattered.didn’t have the skills..
I was desperate to get a better footbrace, I searched, wrote to people and organisations, imported braces and asked anyone who would listen. I wanted to buy or invent something better.. but I didn’t have the skills..
So I packed up my belongings and moved to Melbourne to study at La Trobe Uni, hoping to transfer into the Orthotics and Prosthetics stream. When I arrived they told me that the course was oversubscribed.
I loved studying but it wasn’t going to get me where I wanted to be. So I came home and employed an engineer to work with me on a brace design. We didn’t have the skills, just passion.
Then a friend from La Trobe rang to say he’d seen a brace completely different to anything on the market. It looked amazing and the inventor had worn it in the snow!
I skyped Francois from Turbomed and had an FS3000 in less that 2 weeks!
It was unbelievable, my life immediately changed. The adventurer in me woke up, I could walk further, do more. I was no longer limited by pain and I almost had 2 good legs!
Of course, I could only rest in that happiness for a while. I needed new challenges. Skiing had been off my list since my accident, to difficult with a bad leg.
I learnt to ski (pretty badly) then used my Turbomed to go cross country skiing in Norway. Lots of fun! Lots of crashes too! Then back country skiing using outriggers to help me ski down the mountains.
Now I would like a ski pole that I could use for cross country skiing.. but that’s going to be another story.
ReThink Adaptive is the place to link inventors and people whose lives could be changed by just one thing. It’s a place to learn about the journeys of others who have invented and hear about the lives that have been changed.
