This year there where 7 Achilles athletes , these competitors all have a range of physical disabilities, blind , deaf , spina bifida , leg amputee and paraplegic .
Due to Kirsty's studies and through our friend Giarna who has been fund raising for them in NY for the past 6 years, we became a part of the gang that drank in the bar and traipsed with them through the city , taking in the sights , smells and sounds.
Almost from the start we became friends with Fleur and Nick Hansby from Blenhim .
Fleur has been in a wheelchair for the past 4 years after whacking into the back of a bus that had suddenly stopped in the middle of the road on her push bike, an accident that has left her a paralised from the chest down . Her whole life she has been a serious sports woman, now she travels fast and close to the ground on her custom made hand cranked bike. Nick her fantastic vet husband is there with her 100 % a keen and lean sportsman him self , he pours a mean whiskey.
We took up their invitation to sleep on the fold out sofa in their hotel suite at the Waldorf Astoria on the night of the race , by then Fleur and Nick had become part of one of Kirsty's school projects and along with them had to get up at 4 am on the morning of the race to get ready to get to the start .
Kirsty started the race , made it over the first bridge , then spent the rest of the day jumping on and off the trains that the route followed photographing the race along the way , I wandered down the road from home and cheered on the side lines , it was a fun day.
And topping the whole day off Fleur Came 4th in
her category !!!!!!!
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| Kirsty on the track 12 mile mark , arms in the air. |
