 |  |  | | | BRAVE MATT RUNS ONE LAST TIME | | | | |
| |  Matt Plummer
Release Date: 4th April 2005
A Congleton man is proving anything is possible when he takes part in the Flora London Marathon on Sunday 17th April for the last time, after being told he might never walk again unaided.
Matt Plummer from Congleton in Cheshire was involved in a serious car accident in December 1996, which left him in a coma for 16 days. Doctors told his parents that he might never walk again, but Matt’s determination not only got him walking again but back on his feet running marathons!
"Specialists at the hospital where I was treated said I would never walk again unaided for the rest of my life. I was just so determined to prove them wrong and I told my relatives I would run the London Marathon 2000. They thought I was mad but I joined the Congleton Harriers, who helped me to get back on my feet and I did the run in four hours and 46 minutes," he says.
Since then he has run in the Flora London Marathon in 2002 and 2003, as well as the BUPA Great Manchester in 2001 and the New York Marathon in 2002. He was due to run in the Flora London Marathon in 2004, but in August 2003 his right leg – the good leg – shattered in four different places. Doctors said the serious injury was caused by extra pressure put on his right leg during the years following his car accident.
“I had to have metal pins fitted to my leg to heal the injury and doctors told me I would have to find another hobby than running to avoid injury again. But I had to do the Flora London Marathon one last time,” adds Matt, who is studying a degree in forensic computer science at Staffordshire University.
Matt now is looking for an IT company to offer him a 12-month placement as part of his degree course.
“I used to be a fully qualified electrician before the accident, but since then and having to learn to walk again from scratch I have had to change careers and so retrain,” adds Matt.
Matt’s passion for Lotus 7 cars led him to get involved in the Lotus 7 Club of Great Britain. The Club adopted Leukaemia Research as its official charity as since one of its members was diagnosed with leukaemia.
“I’m proud to be donning on my bright yellow t-shirt and running in the Leukaemia Research Banana Army team. I want to give other people determination to fight through illnesses like leukaemia. If I can do it after being ‘written off’ then they can do it too,” he says.
On the day, Matt will be running in good company as he passes by some of London’s most famous landmarks. As part of the Leukaemia Research TVTimes & Asics celebrity running team he will be running alongside TV celebrities from programmes such as Emmerdale, Monarch of the Glen and The Bill.
To sponsor Matt on his run visit www.justgiving.com/bionicmattyp
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