Here I was at the Otara Spinal Unit learning to walk all over again.  I’m between the parallel bars and I’ve got my physiotherapist right beside me telling me what to do and I can not believe she is serious.

“How can I do this, I have no feeling in my feet and no strength in my lower body”.  

Something caught my eye at the end of the gym, it was just a chair but suddenly I found myself focusing on that chair with an intensity I have never found in myself before and taking my first shaky steps.    Hmmm Ian’s voice came to me, 

“Focus” he was saying, “Get determined” and that's what I did.

Three months later I’m still saying these words every day as I work harder and harder to rehabilitate.

The first day my daughters and I went to Ian’s to learn to horse ride, he said to us.  “Not only will you learn to horse ride, but you will learn life skills such as… Yep you got it Focus, Determination and a host of other characteristics.  My story above is testimonial to this.  It’s not until you find yourself in a dire situation that you fully notice how much you use these skills but once you start thinking about it, you realise that you use them everyday.  I have Ian and his Clydie, Kimmi to thank for further developing these skills.  

Thanks

Kirsten Collins.
Auckland