A DURBAN North resident (33) has completed the David Goggins Challenge, raising R30 500 to assist with the de-horning of rhinos and the care and relocation of various wild animals.
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“I started on Friday at midday and had to run four miles (6.4km) every four hours for 48 hours with very little sleep involved. Sunday wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. It was the Saturday night at 20:00, midnight and 04:00 that I felt like breaking,” said Ciaran Lane.
“I didn’t calculate the number of legs I had planned correctly so I ended up doing one extra 6.4 km, totaling 83.2 km instead of the 76.8 km required for the challenge to finish off on Sunday. I completed 13 laps instead of 12,” he said.
For the animal lover, it was no easy task, but he motivated himself and remained positive, a ‘power’ he says we all possess, although some of us may not know it.
His story dates back to when he was 25, in London and his drink was spiked. Lane ended up on life support and then it took about a week for part of his brain to start dying.
He could no longer walk talk feed himself or do anything at all. Doctors also advised that just the simple task of dressing himself could possibly take 18 months.
How doctors explained it in layman’s terms was that parts of the brain that are functional light up as white and dead the rest is black.
“In my case where there should have been white, it was black and other parts started to light up and those parts would have to learn everything again, ” he said.
Lane refused to accept this prognosis.
He spent nearly a year in hospital and rehab facility learning all the basics again.
“I still have neurological issues with balance, speaking, getting information across as well as physically with my legs and hands,” he said.
Last September Lane was at the top of Mackeurtan Avenue at the traffic lights in the morning putting up pointer boards for an auction when a driver parked at the red traffic light decided to drive into the traffic.
“She was hit by another car and spun. She then hit Ciaran sending him flying into the air. Everyone thought he had broken his back and legs but doctors found nothing broken,” said Lane.
He said he always wanted to do an event that is both physically and mentally challenging in order to test his endurance and strength of will especially since his accident.
“I had heard about the David Goggins Challenge and when my friends said they were keen to do it, I didn’t hesitate,” he said.
“I did the same run last year with seven other runners who guided me. None of them could make it this year so I decided to do it alone,” said Lane.
He said once the challenge was completed, he felt a great sense of relief, especially since losing both his big toe nails!
“I felt a great sense of accomplishment. All my hard work and training paid off and I am happy that I had raised as much as I did for our wildlife and the dedicated people who look after them,” said Lane.
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