‘I could barely walk – today I’m smashing half marathons’
One woman’s inspirational story
That feeling after crossing the finishing line at my first half marathon was indescribable. I was amazed at what my body had achieved. Just years earlier, I’d been in and out of hospital, living off painkillers and using a walking stick. But getting fit turned my life around.
I was 11 years old when my life changed. Crossing a road on my way home from church, I was knocked over by a car and suffered a severe fracture to my femur. The broken bones slid on top of one another and my thigh muscle was damaged.
I spent months in hospital in a skeletal contraption. Even once I’d left, it took me a long time to recover. I was in pain and I had to relearn how to use my leg. Plus, it was the 1960s, so equipment and aftercare were in short supply, which meant my progress was limited. It took me a year before I was moving around properly again.
My left leg was weaker and shorter because of the fracture. It affected how I walked and meant I had to roll up my trouser leg to fit. Sometimes, my thigh would go into spasm and if I knocked
‘Now I understand what my body is capable of ’
my leg, the pain would floor me. But I just accepted that pain had become part of my life.
PHYSICAL BARRIERS
Aged 16 I left school, unaware of how my accident would affect my future career path. After working briefly in a clerical position for the Bank of England, I trained and qualified as a nurse. There was no equipment, so I lifted patients a lot. At the end of my first year after qualification, I was in agony. I went back and forth to my GP, until the pain became unbearable and I was finally referred for X-rays. They found I’d partially slipped a disc, and I’d also developed scoliosis in my lower spine, as a result of my injury.
I had TENS machine treatment initially – this stimulates nerves to distract them from sending pain signals or stimulates the brain to produce natural painkillers. I also attended traction therapy sessions (your body is stretched to relieve pressure) three times a week, and had orthotics put in my shoes. After months of treatment, I was told I couldn’t return to work as my back would never be strong enough. I felt so depressed. I just thought, ‘What am I supposed to do now?’ I was incredibly self-conscious, too. I was in my 20s and didn’t want to be wearing orthopaedic shoes or ankle braces.
DETERIORATING HEALTH
I retrained as a Montessori nursery teacher, but found it hard to get a placement. Who wants someone who’s been off sick for a year with back problems? In 1993, I trained as a social worker. Although getting a position was easier, the intensity of the 13-hour days took a toll on my body. As the job became more deskbound – sitting for hours was unbelievably painful – alternative therapies stopped working. I was referred to a pain management clinic where I was put in a back brace, had steroid injections into my lower back and was loaded up with medication. I had physiotherapy and acupuncture. But with a full-time job, I struggled to keep up with the exercises and the relief was only temporary. With limited mobility, weight crept on. I developed sciatica and had to use a walking stick. By 2012, my health had deteriorated. I could barely walk, and my painkiller prescription increased so much I had to take something to stop me vomiting. On top of this, I was diagnosed as prediabetic. By late 2016, I could no longer cope, and I took voluntary redundancy. Taking early retirement meant I lost a chunk of my pension.
But it was that, or my health.
ROAD TO RECOVERY
It was the best decision I ever made. It gave me time to attend hospital appointments and get my health back on track. I needed to lose weight and get fit, so when my friend Sylvia recommended Nordic walking through a group called Silverfit, I couldn’t sign up fast enough.
Having exhausted options at the pain clinic, it was my final chance to get the pain under control.
It took me a couple of months to get the hang of it – the first few walks were tricky and painful – but the poles gave me confidence. Each session gave my week structure, increased my mobility, and most importantly, gave me the independence I craved.
Each walk was around 3 to 5km, but I could go at my own pace. Plus, doing it with others kept me motivated. Within 11 months, I’d signed up for my first half marathon walk. The winter weather made training tricky, but after four hours and 20 minutes on 4 March 2018, I crossed that finish line. It was such an adrenaline rush. I completed the next half marathon the following year – just six months after back surgery – and shaved 42 minutes off my time. I’m looking to do my fourth half marathon this August and want to complete it in under three hours.
Walking was my saviour during the lockdowns; the perfect therapy for my body and mind. I now understand how my body works and what it’s capable of. I still suffer from back pain, but my medication has halved, I’m no longer using a stick, and I feel liberated.