Dan and I got married on 24th July. We had the most perfect day and wouldn’t have changed a thing.

I had my two friends Shane and Henry as ‘bridesboys’ rather than having bridesmaids, and Dan had his school friend Chris as his best man. We got married at Oakham Castle, and we were given permission for our good friend, Ivor, to fly us there by helicopter. He picked Shane, Henry and I up from home and flew us to the castle the bought my husband and I back to the reception.

We had around 170 guests and it was great to see so many friends there although i would like to have seen them for longer!! My friend Cat caught my flowers so she is the next to get married!!!

Our photos were kindly done by Ian Piper, and Gates nursery were generousand let us have a garden bench for the day for the photos. We also were grateful to Michael, our magician and to Breeze, our band! Our caterers were excellent, John did a great job with the hog roast as usual, and Louise Ingram did our lovely salads. We then had some yummy ice cream and choc brownies done by Sundaes desserts.

I feel very lucky to have Dan as my husband!! We had a few days away in Norfolk after the wedding, we were both very tired and it was a good chance to recover!!

Thanks to Mum and Dad for a really special day!!

Thanks to everyone who helped with the Hog roast we had in June. We had it at Eye Kettleby lakes and raised around£2000. I am using the money that went to my walk campaign to go towards being a robot. (see blog below) Thanks so much to everyone who helped with this do and everyone who came along to it.

I have been fighting my first urine infection for a fair while, and it is driving me mad!  Also had an allergic reaction to something (maybe marriage!!??!! )  but I have been continuing my rehab programme, except the week before the wedding where I am trying to get myself healthy for the wedding day!!

I am very grateful to MARS refuel for choosing me as one of their athletes for a £500 award.

I entered on their website (http://www.marsrefuel.com/refuel-fund/), I had to say what the money would be spent on and who it would help. I also attached a video.

I had the perfect video of me wiping some poor skier out, and said I would spend it on training, and not only would this help me but save peoples lives. They then called me to say I was on the short list and then a couple of days later I received an email saying I had won.

I am going for an assessment weekend with the British disabled ski team in August, I would love to get on the development squad and get into racing. It will be so similar to leaving the start box cross country,  something I really miss. Bring on ski racing… wahoooo!!!

I am tying to learn to jump too… I can take off fine but do not always land the right way up!!! I am sure eventually I will learn!

Dan and I had a great time skiing with Cat at Hemel Hempstead…. which is where we made a jump to practice. I was a little stiff and sore the next day but it was great fun. If I can’t jump on a horse… I shall jump on my mono!

This weekend is the hog roast, and the forecast is good. It is now at Eye Kettleby Lakes.  I shall report on that next week

Cx

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/p0082b4q
Is about 33 mins into the show.

Cx

Don’t Quit
When things go wrong as they sometimes will,

When the road you’re trudging seems all up hill,

When the funds are low and the debts are high

And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,

When care is pressing you down a bit,

Rest if you must, but don’t you quit.

Life is queer with its twists and turns,

As every one of us sometimes learns,

And many a failure turns about

When he might have won had he stuck it out;

Don’t give up though the pace seems slow–

You may succeed with another blow,

Success is failure turned inside out–

The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,

And you never can tell how close you are,

It may be near when it seems so far;

So stick to the fight when you’re hardest hit–

It’s when things seem worst that you must not quit.

My accident was three years ago today, wow, they have gone quickly.

I had had a couple of weeks where I have not felt too great. Badminton horse trials never helps, knowing I should be there and watching Bob ( a horse I competed from novice to advanced level) makes it difficult especially as I felt very hurt by the way Jeanette approached my owner so soon after my fall. It would have been nice to have had some input to who was to ride Bob as I had spent 6 years riding him.  I know it was never going to be easy, I still miss the eventing, however I try not to think about it much and keep myself busy but it is a struggle during Badminton and Burghley.

I am also missing the skiing, but I am meeting Cat and Jeremy at Milton Keynes snow dome next week for a little ski, followed by a yummy supper! I would love to get onto the British disabled ski team development squad, need to keep improving a bit!

On a positive note….my feet stink!! When I have been on the bike or treadmill they sweat again. Complete spinal cord injuries do not generally sweat below injury level, but this is not the case for me any more! (Poor Dan!)

Reflecting back on the past three years I suppose I have achieved a bit. I have had to get rid of the boyfriend I had at the time of the accident as he couldn’t deal with it, I have found the most amazing guy in the world who will soon be my husband, I have found a new hobby that means I can still go fast…wahoooo, I have a  job, Dan and I are designing our house and it will start soon, I have stuck 3 years of rehab , and not yet suffered from any urine infections, pressure sores or anything else on the list!! But this is still not enough, I have some big aims for the next three years including walking the marathon as a robot (may take a while!!) , getting on the ski development squad and race, making more improvements with my recovery and being a good wife (sounds challenging!!!)

Remember to save the 5th June for Summer Shenanigans hog roast. Details will be on my website soon.

Cx

In the past 3 years I have been standing, walking on the treadmill and frame as much as I can, as well as working with my physio and the FES bike.  All made possible due to the tremendous support I have had and still get., it is amazing!  I am now very keen to get this new bit of equipment that will be in the UK early next year. It is called ReWalk.

ReWalk is a wearable, motorized quasi robotic suit. Partially concealable under clothing, ReWalk provides user-initiated mobility - leveraging  advanced motion sensors, sophisticated robotic control algorithms, on-board computers, real-time software, actuation motors, tailored rechargeable batteries and composite materials

ReWalk works with users – not just for them. Users walk with the assistance of crutches, controlling suit movement through subtle changes in center of gravity and upper-body movements. In addition to simplifying suit control, this user participation in mobility brings tangible health and emotional benefits. ReWalk is not just a vertical wheelchair – ReWalk restores the element of control over mobility so lacking for wheelchair users.

ReWalk can serve as a robotic therapeutic or physical training device, used for intensive functional locomotion therapy.

Functionality:

• All day usage
• Mobility – walking, sit-to-stand, stand-to-sit, climb stairs, ascending/descending slopes, driving
• Training – replacing other training equipment at home and at rehabilitation center

It would be great to be able to spend a lot of the day up on my feet, and WALKING! It will help the nerves reconnect and new pathways develop (like treadmill training has been proved to do). It would take time to be able to learn to do it, but I could get there. It could become an Olympic sport, a line of robots for the 100m! It has different buttons you press for steps up, steps down, walking, getting up, sitting down. It sounds very clever. I wonder if they could put a few extra buttons for me. For example: Dance to Single Ladies (Beyonce), then maybe a run like hell button, maybe a jump button too…..now that could be fun!!

I have put money raised by the recent events to the side for a hydropool, and the ReWalk is what i would love to get next year, if it is possible.

I am excited about it, it will be brilliant rehab as well as just feeling great to be tall again . I shall keep working on my core as that needs to be strong enough. They say it is for injuries T6 and below, but the also say that for mono skiing. I am T4 but that is not going to stop me.

My good friend, Ruth Matthews and I have been planning this years Summer Shenanigans. It is on the 5th June this year in aid of Matt Hampson Trust, my Walk Campaign and Leics & Rutland Air Ambulance. It should be a great night, I am going to be there this year!! (Last year I had a sick bug!!)

Thanks for the support

Cx

I had 2 more ski trips with work, Simply Morzine.  I was over there for my 30th birthday and was spoilt by my lovely fiance and the Simply Morzine team. My skiing has really come on, and I just love it.  I am rather keen on the idea of racing at some point.  I did win a race on my last ski holiday, no one actually knew it was a race, but I knew it was!

Here is a clip of me skiing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6YJaHRsZq8

It is such an amazing feeling, going fast again and feeling free.

I am sad it is over now until December. I hope to go indoor skiing here a bit throughout the summer, I have plenty to practice.

Thanks to Simply morzine for making all these ski trips possible. Also, to my super Dan, he is so supportive and encouraging. we had had so much fun skiing together. Luckily for both of us my falls are less frequent!

Cx

What a few days! Seven friends and I had 4 fantastic days in Les Gets for one of my hen parties!! (I have one in July too)

My crazy friends had bought bright green wigs and L plates for my mono. It was such a great ski trip, one I shall remember forever. Henry was brilliant at helping me on the chair lifts, and pulling me up when I fell. The falls are less often now, and I managed 3 red runs this time. I have really improved, and my body feels stronger every time. It is soooo much fun, I just LOVE it. When I was at the top of the red it felt very much like being in the start box at an event.

I came back very sore as we skied for around 7 hours a day, and I had one crashing fall which hurt my neck!

Thanks to all my amazing friends for arranging everything and I had such a wonderful time!

Cx

It is now well over a week since the fashion show, and I have about recovered! It has been a very busy couple of months, and I felt exhausted after the Fashion show but I am now back on track.

The week before the fashion show was very stressful, I had not sold enough tickets to cover the cost, but sold a lot more in the last 5 days and ended up with about 340 there. I was nervous about it not going to plan on the day too, but everyone turned up and they were all amazing!

Henry and I set off with his car full of boxes… oh and Helen amongst them!  The afternoon was spent sorting the clothes onto rails, meeting everyone I have spent the last couple of months emailing and generally organising the evening. Laura Toogood and her Mum, Sarah, had the challenge of producing the show, basically meaning that they had to turn 28 riders into models in  few hours! Ummm… how would they cope with that!?! We would all find out later.

Everyone arrived at 7pm for drinks reception followed by a lovely 2 course meal. Newbury racecourse have been fantastic throughout. I would love to use them again. The fashion show started with the stunning Laura (former eventer and now a pro catwalk model) , followed by riders from dressage, sj, polo, racing and eventing. We had top names in the equestrian world in the fashion show. Laura and Sarah had done a top class job and had worked very hard, so did the make up girls. The models looked like pro’s! The guests really got ino it, and I think everyone was having fun. I think some of the now models may be having a career change, they were naturals! I am not sure if they got more and more confident each walk or if they were just a little more pissed each time….. however, they were fantastic!! Tina Cook, Andrew

Wayne Garrick and his tube station pants from Active underwear!!

Thornton,  Alice Fox Pitt , Carl Hester and Wayne Garrick really got into it!!  Louise Skelton was bril as I only asked her the day before as a replacement. But it seems mean to mention people because every model helped make the show what it was… AMAZING!

Mike Tucker made the night even more special by presenting it, and the auctioneer, Neil Maltby did a grand job too.

After the fashion show everyone enjoyed dancing to ‘Locked Out’. They were also brilliant, and I hope they are up for it next year. I even enjoyed a bit of dancing with the boys! I did a great flying move onto Winston, which everyone who knows Winston would know it was his fault!!

There were so many people involved on the evening, the designers, the riders, my friends and family, Mike, Neil, Newbury racecourse, all the people who donated auction and raffle prizes, Sir David Samworth for providing the models with food, make up team, ITM.AV (staging, sound and lights), everyone who bought tickets or made a donation and my gorgeous fiance for coping with me when I have been a little stressed or my head buried in my laptop planning it!

The evening raised around £10,000 for Spinal Research and to go towards a hydro pool to help me push on with my therapy and my mission to get of my lazy arse. Thanks so much everyone! Next year I would like to make it even bigger and better, I have ideas!! I would like to do it for Mark Davies injured riders fund and the Injured Jockeys fund too.

I have got back into my usual rehab programme, and working hard. I am off skiing for my hen do on Sunday for a few days, and I am rather excited about that!! I hope they haven’t planned anything, and I also hope I beat Henry in the race we have planned.  Will report after with a few photos of that!!

Thanks for all your support

Cx