Latest news with #SpencerWadsworth
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
'I'm running the London Marathon after paralysis'
"The charity came at a time when I really needed them and pulled me out of what was a really bad situation." Spencer Wadsworth is preparing to run further than he ever has before at the London Marathon on Sunday, a challenge in which he will raise money for the organisation that helped him. The 20-year-old, who grew up in Stretton-on-Dunsmore, Warwickshire, suffered a life-changing injury while playing in a rugby match for Keele University in October 2023. He said he decided to take on the marathon to give something back to the Rugby Football Union (RFU) Injured Players Foundation, which helped him realise his injury "wasn't the end". Mr Wadsworth's right arm was paralysed following damage to his brachial plexus, a group of nerves that sends signals from the spinal cord to the shoulder, arm and hand. He said the charity reached out after it heard about his injury and helped him to change an "unhealthy mindset". "They bring people with similar injuries together and when you come into contact with these people you start to realise 'oh I'm not the only one'. "It's a really positive, uplifting environment," he said. Mr Wadsworth added that the charity also planned to fund a modified car so he could continue to drive. "I can't think of any charity that would make me run a marathon other than this one," he said. He has already raised more than £2,500 for the cause and said he hoped to raise £4,000 by Sunday. He will wear a specialised sleeve during the race to keep his arm close to his body and prevent it from "dropping out of its socket". "I've never been much of a strong runner, but I'd like to think I've seen a lot of progression since I first came out of hospital and I couldn't walk. "I always say it's a privilege to run and I've been consistent in my training so I am quietly confident," he added. The 20-year-old said the technology to restore the feeling to his arm was not currently available, but added "we're not losing hope". "I'm still doing lots of physio with the hope that the nerves could re-grow and the technology in prosthetics is moving quickly. "But it is something you have to come to terms with, you can't live every day and hope it's just going to get better, you do have to come to terms with it." Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram. Mental health support drives marathon runner Woman, 73, runs marathon 38 years after first race Student's rugby paralysis inspires marathon goal RFU Injured Players Foundation
BBC News
23-04-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Keele student to run London Marathon for charity after paralysis
"The charity came at a time when I really needed them and pulled me out of what was a really bad situation."Spencer Wadsworth is preparing to run further than he ever has before at the London Marathon on Sunday, a challenge in which he will raise money for the organisation that helped 20-year-old, who grew up in Stretton-on-Dunsmore, Warwickshire, suffered a life-changing injury while playing in a rugby match for Keele University in October 2023. He said he decided to take on the marathon to give something back to the Rugby Football Union (RFU) Injured Players Foundation, which helped him realise his injury "wasn't the end". Mr Wadsworth's right arm was paralysed following damage to his brachial plexus, a group of nerves that sends signals from the spinal cord to the shoulder, arm and said the charity reached out after it heard about his injury and helped him to change an "unhealthy mindset". "They bring people with similar injuries together and when you come into contact with these people you start to realise 'oh I'm not the only one'."It's a really positive, uplifting environment," he said. 'No other charity I'd run for' Mr Wadsworth added that the charity also planned to fund a modified car so he could continue to drive. "I can't think of any charity that would make me run a marathon other than this one," he has already raised more than £2,500 for the cause and said he hoped to raise £4,000 by Sunday. 'It's a privilege to be able to run' He will wear a specialised sleeve during the race to keep his arm close to his body and prevent it from "dropping out of its socket". "I've never been much of a strong runner, but I'd like to think I've seen a lot of progression since I first came out of hospital and I couldn't walk."I always say it's a privilege to run and I've been consistent in my training so I am quietly confident," he added. The 20-year-old said the technology to restore the feeling to his arm was not currently available, but added "we're not losing hope". "I'm still doing lots of physio with the hope that the nerves could re-grow and the technology in prosthetics is moving quickly."But it is something you have to come to terms with, you can't live every day and hope it's just going to get better, you do have to come to terms with it." Follow BBC Coventry & Warwickshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
24-03-2025
- Health
- BBC News
Keele student's rugby paralysis inspires London Marathon goal
"The first thing I remember is being on the floor and telling people that I couldn't feel my arm."It was October 2023. One moment, Spencer Wadsworth was playing in a rugby match for Keele University. The next, he was unconscious."I was playing full-back and this big guy came at me at full speed and there was nobody else in the way, so naturally I thought: 'I've got to get my body in front of him because otherwise he will just run through me'," he Wadsworth had suffered a rare injury to the brachial plexus, a group of nerves that sends signals from the spinal cord to the shoulder, arm and hand. After exploratory surgery, he was given the news that his right arm was paralysed. The news came just weeks after he had started a degree in biomedical science."I went into the surgery fully expecting to come out with full function [of my arm] again," he said. The news for the now 20-year-old was shocking - growing up in the aptly named town of Rugby, Warwickshire, he had played the sport since he was out his dominant arm was paralysed had a profound effect on his mental health, he admitted."It was really, really tough. It was very isolating," said Mr Wadsworth."I felt very alone and like I was the only person going through it."It was completely consuming my life."He began to experience depression and other psychological side effects."It started with insomnia and then it shifted to night terrors…I would have panic attacks," he said. But after returning home, he was told he had a visitor - from the Rugby Football Union (RFU) Injured Players group is England Rugby's official charity which provides immediate and lifelong support to players who suffer a "catastrophic spinal cord or acute severe traumatic brain injury"."After that, it was phone calls with him, little emails in my inbox from the charity saying: 'We've got this water skiing day, we think you'd be a perfect fit, do you want to come down and have a look? We've got tickets to an England box, do you want to come along?'" said Mr charity also enabled him to meet other injured players and talk about their 20-year-old returned to university and despite not playing rugby any more, he is pursuing an England coaching qualification."To be honest with you…now it's just like I'm a normal student again," he said. It is this support that gave Mr Wadsworth the idea to run the London Marathon in April, raising money for the charity which he said dragged him out of a pit. With a fundraising goal of £2,500, he had raised more than £2,400 by the middle of aims to run the 26.2 miles (42km) in less than three hours and 45 minutes."The only thing that could justify me running a marathon would be that charity," he said."I can't think of a better charity – one that's closer to home, one that deserves it." Follow BBC Stoke & Staffordshire on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X and Instagram.
