Media Coverage of My Story

Of course, with my accident, recovery and build-up to Ironman, there's been some media coverage of my story. That culminated in the week of Ironman with a story about me being aired by the New Zealand current affairs television programme, Campbell Live.

The story's available on Campbell Live's website here (regretfully, I'm unable to embed the video).  I think it may be most interesting to my readers because it contains a whole series of videos of me shortly after my accident.  Be warned, I'm not in a good way in those.  Fortunately, though, I've improved since then and firmly believe, it's the comeback that counts! :-)

(With Ironman now over and out of the way, I'm enjoying the return to the quiet life and not having nearly so much fuss around me!)

Cheers,
Mike

Finally Running Home an Ironman!

During a quiet training ride, just two weeks before I was to race Ironman New Zealand 2005, I had a spot of bad luck: I was involved in what should have been a minor traffic accident.  Because I was on a bike, however, it was anything but.  I suffered a severe traumatic brain injury and missed my race, what would have been my first Ironman, because I was still in hospital in a coma!  I lost my health, I lost my career, I almost lost my life!  Through all of it, though, I never lost my desire to race an Ironman, slowly but steadily rebuilding my strength, fitness and abilities.

On March the 6th this year, five years after I should have, I finally ran home an Ironman!

(This is my favourite photo from Ironman because, while it shows me running towards the finish, it doesn't actually show me crossing it, as if my race isn't over.  I like it because, as I explain below, I don't feel like "my race" is over yet!)

For me, Ironman (which involves a 3.8k swim, 180k cycle and then a 42k run) wasn't what I'd expected at the start of the day.  I had a good swim...

(A shot of the mass start involving over a thousand swimmers - I'm in there somewhere)

... and a reasonable bike ride... 

(looking settled)

... only to have problems on the run!

(feeling the pain!  That is a frown, or as much of one as I can manage!)

Unfortunately, I became quite ill about a quarter of the way through the run.  However, after the saga that's been my build-up to Ironman, I wasn't going to let a bad stomach get in the way of finishing.  Things gradually improved, particularly when four supporters came off the sidelines and starting running with me.  Gradually, my running style came back together and I truly enjoyed the final stages of the race, running home in a time of 12.54.

(me with my fantastic support crew afterwards!)

How does it feel to have finally completed my goal and raced an Ironman?  In a word, fantastic!  Ironman has been such a saga these last five years; although my race wasn't the best, I feel like I've been released, like I can now go on to other things.  And there are indeed other things!  Of course, finishing my 50,000 word Masters thesis is currently my biggest goal, but really there's a whole bunch of things I want to improve at.  My recovery - my race - isn't over yet!

I remain committed to the process of recovering.  Ironman was only a step along the way and I hope for all the best in furthering recovering.  I wish other recoverers out there well and hope I hear stories of things other people have gone on to do, following their brain injury.

Cheers,

Mike