Maija overcomes odds to walk again
Road to recovery leads jockey to top of Mt Maunganui
Walking to the top of Mount Maunganui will be the pinnacle of what has been a long road to recovery for Cambridge jockey Maija Vance, who was told she may never walk again after a horrific horse race accident in September 2018.
She set out to prove that hard work and determination can overcome the greatest of odds.
Next month she aims to walk independently up The Mount (Mauao) in a fundraiser to give back for all the help she has had in her battle to recover.
After her mount Zedsational failed to clear the penultimate jump in a Rotorua hurdles, Maija hit the ground head and neck first, leaving her spine to take the impact of the fall, before being crushed as the horse fell on her.
Doctors warned that walking again would be difficult and perhaps impossible. Fortunately for Maija her spinal cord injury was incomplete, meaning that after undergoing a four-hour operation, her chances of walking again grew slightly.
Maija said the first few weeks of being in hospital were torture.
“I had drains in both lungs, the nurses had to turn me every two hours and the drains would dig into my chest,” Maija said.
She spent three months at the Otara ¯ Spinal Unit with two or three sessions a day of spinal therapy and exercise. She had two steel rods and 14 screws in her injured spine which has left her with a scar like a zipper down her back.
Battling through the pain, Maija set her goals on being able to walk again without any support.
“My goal was to walk and the rods and screws were not designed for movement and I had them taken out.”
“I started off being able to stand up if I had leg braces and someone was supporting me. I could kind of walk, getting one foot in front of the other, from then it was a matter of aiming for tiny improvements.”
“For a few weeks in hospital I would lay there and try to move my toe and nothing would happen, the day my toe actually flickered when I told it too it was the best day ever, but then a month later I was able to move my whole foot and that was an even better day. I was just incredibly happy with every improvement,” Maija said.
While learning to walk again and still using a wheelchair, Maija started riding her own horse again, returning to saddle after leaving hospital and still aims to return to racing.
Maija’s walk to the top of
Mount Maunganui on March 22 is aiming to raise $5000 for The CatWalk Spinal Cord Research Trust.
“The reason I am wanting to partner with CatWalk is because I received such incredible support from so many people throughout my whole recovery and feel so amazingly lucky to have a second chance at walking. I feel as though I really want to give something back and raise awareness of spinal cord injuries and the amazing research that is being funded by CatWalk towards finding a cure for SCI.”
“I thought that climbing a mountain would be symbolic of my journey to be able to walk again. While I’m walking independently now on flat ground, stepping up stairs is something else, and there are 576 steps to the top of Mount Maunganui.
“Some of my friends have said they will come with me — and more walkers are welcome — but I am worried about holding them up, I’ve told them they may need to bring camping gear in case it takes us a couple of days.”
Maija says she has no doubt about making it to the top, but said if there is a helicopter available to get her down she would gladly accept. She has been working with neurological physiotherapist Tracey Stirling, who is based in Hamilton, as part of her recovery, with Tracey saying that Maija’s road to recovery has been nothing short of miraculous.
“I have not met someone who is as determined as Maija has been in her recovery, she has been outstanding,” Tracey said. “Usually it is me trying to push people on to do better, but with Maija I have to sometimes hold her back from doing too much too soon she is that determined.”
Maija’s workouts includes skipping, dance steps, jumping, and then lifting her legs over as if climbing, using a range of gym equipment including a treadmill and a walker.
“When I first started working with Maija she could not stand on her left leg for long, not quite for one second — and that’s being generous. Now she can do it for about eight seconds and that is huge for her when she is balancing on one leg.”
“She is very driven to succeed and works really hard.”
Tracey has no doubts Maija will reach the top of Mount
Maunganui.
“We are practising a specific movement pattern and then put it back into the activity that uses it, improves walking and will help towards the goal of walking up Mount Maunganui.” Maija has learned the pattern for running on a treadmill again.
“Maija is going to make it. She is the most determined person I have ever met.”