Brave Laura took on NY marathon.. as she recovered from horror smash
by Lynn Jolly, Paisley Daily Express
ARCHITECT Laura James had designs on running one of the world’s top marathons – but her chances didn’t look good when she was left in a wheelchair after suffering serious injuries in a road accident.
She had started practising for the New York City Marathon in April and was looking forward to achieving her dream of pounding the streets of the Big Apple.
But, in July, 27-year-old Laura suffered lower back injuries, internal bruising and airbag impact injuries in a car smash.
Despite this, she powered through her rehab programme and, just weeks later, was able to take her place at the starting line for the marathon in the city that never sleeps.
And caring Laura managed to raise £13,000 for charity into the bargain.
Laura, who works for design and engineering specialists Morgan Professional Services at the Glasgow Airport Business Park in Paisley, said: “The physiotherapist wouldn’t let me run outside until three weeks before the marathon.
“Before that, all I could do was a few miles on the treadmill.
“But myself and my friend Laura Roberston, who was running the marathon with me, knew that we had raised £13,000 in sponsorship money, so I felt I had to go for it.
“When it came to the morning of the big day, I was still thinking ‘am I going to manage this?’
“I half expected to get to around the eight-mile mark and then walk the rest but I managed to get to 18 miles and, after that, it was a combination of walking and jogging.
“I finished the marathon in a time of five hours and 33 minutes and was pleased with that.”
Every step of the way, Laura was able to raise cash for the MS Society to help people who suffer from multiple sclerosis.
She said: “After the car accident, I was lying in hospital shouting ‘I’ve got a marathon to run!’
“The doctors said I’d be lucky to be walking by then but, for me, pulling out of the event was never an option.”
Before April, the furthest Laura had ever ran was three miles but she was keen to help the MS Society and used this as her motivation to tackle the New York marathon.
The two Lauras had originally hoped to raise £7,000 for charity but have so far almost doubled that total, thanks to support from friends, family and work colleagues.
Multiple sclerosis is the most common disabling neurological condition affecting young adults. Around 85,000 people in the UK are sufferers.
In Scotland, it is estimated that there are 10,500 people with MS – more people per capita than anywhere else in the world.
The illness is caused by damage to myelin, which is the protective sheath surrounding nerve fibres of the central nervous system.
Damaged myelin causes interference with messages between the brain and other parts of the body.
If you would like to support Laura’s marathon fundraising effort, go online at www.justgiving.com/the2lauras and make a donation.
