I was told I wouldn’t walk again... now I’m running marathons
Katie used running to help overcome ordeal of being hit by a lorry as a teenager
A YOUNG woman who was told she would never walk again after being hit by a truck has told her inspiring story of fighting back to mental and physical health - after running her first marathon.
Katie Damer, 22, from Crumpsall, was hit by a lorry cycling home from school in Bury when she was aged just 15 – and in the months after was told she may never walk again.
The health problems that followed left her struggling both physically and mentally as she worked through painful physio to help her walk – and it led her making an attempt on her own life at the age of 18.
But hitting “rock bottom”, and left on a waiting list for mental health support, she was encouraged to give running a try by her family.
It would prove to be an extraordinary therapy for the young acting student and assist in her mental and physical recovery. As she slowly gained strength, she realised she could not only run for miles, but it also helped to ease her mind.
It became such a passion that this month, Katie was able to complete her first ever marathon in just over five hours at the Manchester Marathon.
She posted an inspiring message on social media after finishing the run to say: “From being told I’ll never walk again to running 26.2 miles. Anything is possible. Things can always get better. I’ll never stop believing that.”
Katie is now studying acting at the University of Chichester and has spoken about her experiences in the hope her message may inspire anyone else feeling in a desperate place. She told the M.E.N: “I’m a believer of making the most of every moment now - especially with what we’ve all been through over the past 16 months.”
Following her ordeal, doctors expected Katie to recover from her injuries – which included a torn knee ligament – within a few months but things got worse, not better. She said: “In the end I was referred to a specialist who diagnosed complex regional pain syndrome, they didn’t expect me to have that, it is an underlying issue in nerves that can be triggered by a trauma.
“The prognosis for that is a little bit bleak. I really pushed to make it work, but ended up with a trapped nerve in my arm from the crutches which meant I was left having to use a Zimmer frame at the age of 16.”
The constant pain coupled with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after her ordeal led Katie to attempt to take her own life.
After that she moved back to live with parents Miriam and Michael in Crumpsall, and it was then that her older brother Gary, 34 and sister Joanne, 35, suggested she give running a try.
Katie said: “One day my sister took me out, and we ended up running seven miles to my surprise.
“It became my therapy - hitting that tough bit of a run and getting through it, I was able to translate that to my life.”
Earlier this month Katie completed the Manchester Marathon in five hours and three minutes, with her family there to cheer her over the line.
She said: “The second I crossed the line I just burst into tears. We met my mum and dad and sister and as soon as I saw them I cried my eyes out.”