Video: Trials star Martyn Ashton walking again - with help of Parawalker

I really must have a coffee... Although to get that caffeine fix it will require me to take on a very challenging journey. I will have to negotiate the full quarter mile length of a hospital corridor. In fact this will be a round trip, so we are talking roughly half a mile to get that coffee :-) That isn't too far really. Normally I could roll there and back in no time, and with little effort. This time I'm attempting to make the coffee run part of my Parawalker training. A device that allows me, even though I have no feeling or movement below my belly button, to stand upright and walk. The metal framework and straps of the walker hold my legs and trunk stable and by using crutches and a bit of technique to make the hip-joint of the walker flex I can take steps. It's very cool.Standing upright is really good for my bone density, my circulation, blood pressure and a great stretch too.It also just feels amazing to be upright. It's so high up! Strange how quickly I've become used to the lower living level in a wheelchair, forgetting all those years I've spent up at everyone else's eye level. I've had one week of training in the Parawalker and I'm feeling very happy about the progress. It was a lot of fun. I won't deny it was a challenge and very tiring, but the aches and pains are very satisfying. I'm pleased I've got this new exercise to help keep me healthy. It will be great to see if I can master the technique too. I hope so. And with enough practise and progress I think I could take it a step further (pardon the pun). So I'm going to enter next year's Wings for Life WorldRun as usual, but this time I won't be rolling... The thought of standing tall in my walker on the start line of #WorldRun next May is mouth watering. I'll probably get caught pretty quickly by the chase car, but I don't think that matters. It will be an exciting and unique experience, I can't wait. However before I take that on I must go and get that coffee. The quarter of a mile of corridor awaits and I'm feeling ready for it. I'm definitely ready for the coffee, although by the time I've used all that energy to get there I'll probably just want a cup of water :-) MartynAs always, but especially now, I'm very grateful to The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust for allowing me to undertake the Parawalker training, especially the fantastic staff from Gladstone Ward, Wrekin Ward and ORLAU. You are amazing people, much Love X. Wings for Life World Run Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation

Posted by Martyn Ashton on Sunday, 15 November 2015