Hi, I am courtney, a year and a half ago I was the victim of a hit and run. I broke my pelvis in three places, my shoulder, my right knee and I fractured my neck. I also suffered a pretty horrendus Traumatic Brain Injury. I lost all of my memory from before my accident and i now suffer with PTSD, FND and Seizures. With all of this I am fighting a running battle with depression and anxiety and we all know how that can go.

I was lucky enough on this journey to spend a month at the Douglas Bader unit. I will never forget the first time I asked a physio how long my recovery would take, he said three months and that it was my new beginning, many that had been hit like I had wouldn’t be so lucky. Recently, he said, “if I told you that day it would take over a year I would have lost the fight we all saw in you”. It was this man that got me to Queen Mary’s, where the doctors said it would be tough but that they would teach me to fight in a way I didn’t know possible. I don’t think any amount of thanks would be enough, but truthfully mine are endless. Queen Mary’s changed my life, when I went, I didn’t really feel like a person and I hadn’t for months. I was unable to walk, extremely fragile and terrified of the fresh start the accident had given me. My time there taught me so much. They taught me how to walk again. I was truly blessed to be surrounded by incredible souls. Uplifting people who I shared an unspoken bond with. It is these people who taught me to smile and laugh again and trained me to be excited for the future not terrified for it.

My fresh start has flipped perspectives, taught me that nothings a failure it’s just a lesson and its given me an all powerful strength that seems almost superhuman. It doesn’t mean everyday I am strong but I don’t think I know someone who is. There are constantly new blessings that although run parallel with lots of pain is something I will be forever grateful for.

There is still such a long way to go, mentally there has been no shift in my neurological state. My memory loss is part of what makes me who I am now. I try to see the beauty in getting to learn things all over again. Something so incredibly tough for my family but something they help and back me with all the time. It’s never easy, it’s never over and it is a fight renewed each morning but it’s possible.

It is because of these incredible people and the people at the Traumatic Stress Service, that I will be rowing, cycling, swimming 200km in November. I will keep you updated everyday on how much I am covering. My hope is that 200km can represent 200 people suffering with conditions similar to mine! Sometimes battles can’t be won but I won’t stop fighting and your support would mean the world to them and me.

Thanks Courtney xxxx