Leicester fundraising hero Claire Lomas, who became headline news around the world when she walked the 2012 London Marathon in a ReWalk robotic suit, is due to visit Enderby’s Brockington College on Thursday 16th April.
Claire will be presenting an assembly to Year 8 and 9 in which she will explain the breakthrough in giving hope to sufferer of spinal injuries.
The ‘ReWalk’ is a commercial bionic walking assistance system that uses powered leg attachments to enable paraplegics to stand upright, walk and climb stairs.
She will salso explain where the sponsor money previously raised by the College has been spent and for some students, it will be their first chance to hear about Claire’s incredible story.
Claire, who became paraplegic as a result of a riding accident in 2007 is paralysed from the chest down. She walked the London Marathon in the pioneering robotic suit. It took a gruelling 17 days to complete and she raised £210,000 for Spinal Research.
She became the first ‘owner’ of one of the robotic suits, and used it when she had the special honour of lighting the Paralympic cauldron in London’s Trafalgar Square on 24th August 2012, in front of Prime Minister David Cameron, London Mayor Boris Johnson and Lord Sebastian Coe.
In 2013 Claire completed a 400 mile hand cycle around parts of England, visiting schools on the way to inspire pupils, raising another £85,000 supporting the Nicholls Spinal Injury Foundation. Last year, just over 700 pupils took part in the College’s Annual Fun Run and a total of £7000 was raised.
This year’s Fun Run will be held on St.George’s Day, Friday 23 April and fundraising will be for the Nicholls Spinal Injury Foundation. Claire is constantly thinking of ways to raise money and strongly believes there will soon be a cure.
Sponsor forms will be distributed the week before the Fun Run. It will also be a non uniform day for those
wishing to come in non-school uniform for £1.00.
The School says the Fun Run is ‘optional fancy dress’ and are hopeful they will have huge numbers once more supporting the event.