Fundraiser Claire Lomas was left paralysed from the chest down after a riding accident nearly a decade ago but the 36-year-old will take part in the Great North Run in September with the help of her bionic suit.
The Great North Run has been a mainstay on the road racing calendar since 1981 and has been given a five star endorsement by European Athletics Running For All.
Lomas became the first person to complete a marathon wearing the revolutionary ‘ReWalk’ suit when she took part in the London Marathon, taking 17 days to complete the course.
[VIDEO src='1279625' align='right']
This time, Lomas is expected to take four days to complete the famous Newcastle to South Shields course. She will begin on the Wednesday and is expected to cover around three miles per day.
She is expecting to have some company along the course. During the challenge, Lomas will be visiting schools along the course to talk to them about her accident and her sporting achievements which have generated more than £500,000 for the Nicholls Spinal Injury Foundation.
“Each day I’ll be doing a school visit, talk to the kids in the assembly, some will join me, hopefully they can take a few things away from that,” said Lomas.
Lomas has been restricted from entering some races as an official competitor. Race organisers have claimed bionic suit gives her an unfair advantage over her adversaries.
“The suit has a motor but I can tell you that it is hard work,” she said. “I certainly have to work to use it. It moves my legs for me. Obviously I can’t do that because I am paralysed from the chest down.
“Even balancing myself in the suit is difficult. I can’t feel the ground I’m on. I have to shift my weight for every step at the right time to enable me to take a step, while balancing myself on the crutches. Anyone who has walked on crutches with an injury will know that it is not easy.
“I’ve always fancied doing the Great North Run and I was thrilled when the organisers invited me to take part having heard I had been turned away from other events.
As well as completing half marathons and marathons, Lomas has also taken on other challenges - such as completing a 400-mile journey around the UK but this time on wheels.
“After London, I did 400 miles on my hand bike around the UK and visited schools to talk to them about how I dealt with my accident, what I’ve done since and to never give up, so that’s what I’m doing again during the Great North Run.
“I had no choice with what happened to me. You have a bit of a choice in how you deal with it, but it wasn’t without dark days. Everyone thinks that the marathon was the biggest challenge, but just getting out of bed when you’ve got nothing to get up for was a lot harder.”
Claire had completed the London Marathon only 12 weeks after wearing the ReWalk suit for the first time, and although she has improved in the four years since, the technology still poses a massive challenge to her.
“Not having my own balance and not being able to feel anything makes it all the more challenging. It’s certainly not a huge advantage. It moves my legs for me but I’m really working the parts of me that work – they’re working really hard.”
The European Athletics Quality Road Race standards act as an assurance for road runners throughout Europe. They distinguish between races that respect the standards and those that haven’t sought certification or assessment. They form the foundation of Running for All, a strong recognisable brand for running activities throughout Europe.
More information on Running for All:
Website: european-running4all.org
Twitter: @runningforall
Contact: [email protected]