On Tuesday 15 April, and on my last long run in preparation for the Two Oceans half marathon, I tumbled over a speed bump in Mount Road.
What do you expect at 5.30am, in the cold and the dark and me trying to keep up with my wife and her running budding? Unfortunately my tumble resulted in me breaking my right clavicle.
My immediate thought was that the year’s training was in vain, and this would be the end of our trip to Cape Town as we were scheduled to fly on Thursday. If it wasn’t for the help from the good Samaritans who stopped to help, this would have probably been true.
I apologise, but I was in no condition to do a name check, but I do remember a lady by the name of Kim. Kim, thank you to you and your running buddy. You ladies were God-sent.
And thank you to the gentleman cyclist who was also kind enough to stop to help me. I know it is not very often runners fall and land up breaking their clavicle, this is supposed to only happen to cyclists.
You guys were great. Thank you for taking your time to stop and help a complete stranger, me. Your kindness has restored my faith in humanity.
Thank you to my wife, Jill and her buddy Sandy for getting me to Sandton Clinic as quickly as they did.
Thank you to the doctors and nurses at Sandton Clinic for your kindness, patience, professionalism – and last but not least, those painkillers which were so needed. A special thank you to orthopaedic surgeon, Doctor Marion for slotting me in to theatre despite the fact that you had surgeries scheduled.
With the help of all the good Samaritans we got to Cape Town, and with the help of painkillers and Dr Marion’s excellent surgery I managed to run/walk (mostly walk) and complete my half marathon.
This medal will certainly be remembered forever.
If it weren’t for all these remarkable people who reacted so swiftly, I would not have achieved this milestone.
