Claire Lomas Completes the London Marathon
And some good news about a DisAbled challenger! Very well done Claire Lomas.
A paralysed Leicestershire woman has become the first person to complete a marathon in a “bionic” suit.
The £43,000 device allows Claire Lomas to walk by detecting shifts in her balance.
Ms Lomas, from Eye Kettleby near Melton Mowbray, was paralysed from the chest down when she broke her back and neck in a horse-riding accident in 2007.
The 32-year-old crossed the finish line at 12:50 BST – 26 days after starting the race with 36,000 other people.
She was met by cheering onlookers as she walked beneath an arch of red balloons.
So far she has raised about £80,000 for Spinal Research, a charity which funds medical research around the world to develop treatments for paralysis caused by a broken back or neck.
Ms Lomas has walked around two miles a day, accompanied by her husband Dan, mother Joyce and 13-month-old daughter Maisie.
Organisers have been criticised for insisting that Mrs Lomas would not appear in the official results or receive a medal when she finishes, as rules state competitors have to complete the course on the same day.
Mrs Lomas broke her neck, back and ribs and punctured a lung when her horse threw her off as she took part in the Osberton Horse Trials in Nottinghamshire.
Same Difference 