Marathon chance for woman who almost died

A RUNNER who had to learn how to walk and talk properly again after a horror motorbike crash will defy doctors by reaching her goal of competing in the London Marathon.

Julie Pitchford, 55, nearly died when she was involved in a smash that sent her flying off the vehicle 28 years ago – but vowed she would one day run the marathon.

She was 28 when a car crashed into her boyfriend’s motorbike, on which she was riding pillion in Gibraltar.

Her body was broken with multiple injuries and she was slipping in and out of a coma for weeks as her family from Ramsgate, Kent, rushed to be by her bedside.

She travelled to Gibraltar on a six-month work contract, but instead spent a year trying to walk again, getting her speech back and building up her strength.

Doctors said she may never walk unaided, but she fought back to compete in long distance races and aims to achieve her recovery goal of competing in the London marathon in October.

It took her 12 months to walk again unaided and she still suffers pain at times.

Ms Pitchford said she is lucky to be alive and credits her survival to buying a new helmet just two days before the accident.

The 55-year-old, who has now returned to Ramsgate said: “I was totally smashed to pieces.

“I’d literally two days before the crash bought a brand new helmet – otherwise I wouldn’t be here to tell the story.

“I had swelling on the brain. I couldn’t even hold a conversation and I had no memory at all. I’d look at my mum and think it was my grandmother. I’d ask ‘what time is dinner?’ when I’d just had dinner.”

Now after many attempts to get a place in the race, she will be running at this year’s event on October 2.