A massive thank you for all your support!

The day went better than I can imagine and I can't begin to explain what an amazing experience it was. I finished in 3.21.03, which for my first effort I'm pretty pleased with!

As you'll see fundraising is going really well, the page will stay open for a bit as a few people still want to pledge their support.

Thank you!

Chris

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On February 24th 2004 I broke my spine while snowboarding in the French Alps, the picture to the left was taken just before I fell. I was more than lucky as you'll see from the story below. Others aren't so and therefore I'm running this years London marathon for OSCAR, a spinla research fund that is dedicated toward helping those who might not be so fortunate.

So here's my story... I can vividly remember my decision to tackle the slope (picture left!), seconds after that photo was taken I hit some ice and fell 40 metres over rocks and sheets of ice.

After four or five major tumbles I came to a rest at the base of the slope. I immediately noticed that I couldn’t bend down to unstrap my board and since my face had smashed on the ice it swelled up almost immediatley leaving me unable to see.

The ‘Securite de Piste’ found me after 30 minutes once I’d flagged down some locals, and then I started my journey to hospital. On being taken to the local medical centre I was told that I’d broken my back and I should call Charlotte to tell her, who at the time was a bit concerned!  

Once my Grandma found out she booked herself on the earliest flight to act as translator and joined Charl as all round saviour at Grenoble hospital. After her initial conversation with the surgeon she explained the severity of my injury. I had badly fractured a vertebrae in my lower spine (L2), the fragments of which were placing the spinal cord under significant risk and as result they were going to undertake a 5 hour operation to insert a raft of metal work. That year the surgeon had worked on many similar cases of guys my age, 11 (30%) of which remained paralysed for life from the waist down.

On waking up the nurse came to me looking quite anxious as she tested my reflexes on both legs, there was a massive sigh of relief from everyone when I felt everything. The days that followed were absolute hell, the pain was like nothing I have ever felt, 20 minutes sleep at a time with excruciating shooting pains up my spine. After two weeks I returned to the UK, two stone lighter and not allowed to sit down for a further two weeks! Over the following two months the physios did an incredible job in getting me back to full strength and 4 months after the accident I was back in the US coaching football! 

That same year in 2004 I was supposed to be running the marathon for OSCAR (Oswestry Spinal Cord Appeal for Research) unable to take part I committed to doing it in the future, now with a vested interest. So here I am 4 years on!

As the story above illustrates, spinal injury doesn’t discriminate against age, gender or background, it can just happen. I was lucky to have had the benefits of years of research into spinal injury and as a result I’m now again leading a similiar life. Despite this there are and will still be those who have their spinal cord severed, from which it cannot re-grow, although that could change.

Recent research has identified that the body does attempt to repair severed nerves but many aspects within that environment eventually overcome that response. The funds that I hope to raise will go toward understanding how bone marrow stem cells help nerves re-grow, which is critical in understanding if laboratory studies will replicate within a patient. Despite being based all the way over in Shropshire, Oswestry Orthopaedic Hospital is one the UK’s leading spinal research centres. I know money maybe a bit tight in current times but unfortunately these injuries still happen and you can help change that.

Although I can't commit to staying off the slopes, I've got a 14 week training programme ahead  of me and in true Allinson style I'm well and truely 'dropping my shoulder' on it. Target time is sub 3 hours 30, wish me luck and thanks for your time! 

Chris.

Garden Flat, 6 Tyrrell Road, East Dulwich, London, SE22 9NA.