Buncrana man who suffered severe head injury runs Auckland half marathon
Jason Le Masurier was told he wouldn’t walk again and spent almost two years in hospital after suffering a severe head injury in a kitesurfing accident
A Buncrana man who was told he wouldn’t walk again after suffering a severe head has raised hundreds of euro for a brain injury charity after taking part in a half marathon in New Zealand.
Jason Le Masurier, originally from Devon and founder of Buncrana parkrun, ran the Auckland half marathon on November 3, raising NZ$1,500 (more than €800) for Brain Injury NZ.
Mr Le Masurier, who was visiting his daughter Kate in New Zealand, spent almost two years in hospital after sustaining the head injury in a kitesurfing accident in 2007.
“I thought it would be a great opportunity to raise sponsorship money for Brain Injury NZ. They were pleased I could help, and released my story to the newspapers in NZ,” he said.
He had planned to run the full marathon but suffered an injury while training.
“I started training in June, and in September I fell at the Derry half marathon and broke my hand. I missed a month of training with my hand in plaster as a result, so I had to cut down to a half marathon in Auckland. It was hard, but I was determined to finish.
“My message to those with head injuries is to believe in yourself. Set yourself a goal, and believe you can do it. Don’t let others put restrictions on you. I was told I would never walk again, but I didn’t let that stop me.”
Contributions to the fundraising effort can be made here.