All posts by Russ

Events
A close friend sent me this:
Mate 
I’ve witnessed some top geezers cracking on after adversity but you are very special. A real inspiration and example – would love to come and chat when you have some spare time!
A mans wealth is not judged by how much money he has but how’s my family and friends he has. 
( I replied that, if true, that makes me Bill Gates ). And I mean that from the bottom of my heart. 

What Dani said…

Events

 What Dani read out, for me, on Friday. 

( I didn’t think I had the lungs to speak up. 
As it happened I had a go too, and did manage to say a few appreciative words).

”As Russ cannot project his voice and tends to slur, particularly if trying to read something aloud or say something poignantly, he’s asked me if I would speak for him. 

He’s been quite literally blown away by the support he’s received from so many people over the last 4 months. 

The people here tonight represent a huge proportion of the total number of those he’d call his friends. 
He’s genuinely amazed daily by the attention that a Welsh idiot like him has managed to generate, through as simple an act as falling off a bicycle.  

His maintains that he is still very much at the start of his long journey back to recovering anything like a decent quality of independence. 
He says that without the love and patience of those around him, he’d sink into despair. 

It’s your devotion to him that gives him the drive to get better. He needs you there, so that he can’t let YOU down. 
He knows he’ll never be the same again and thinks sometimes very dark thoughts. However, those bleak times are slowly getting less. 

He hopes that all of you, through him and the visits you make, and through reading his blog, will have learnt something about what it is to have had your normal life and rights as a man taken away from you. 

There is never an easy day now, each day has the potential to be sad and humiliating. 
To go from being so athletic and physical to being disabled and in a wheelchair is worse than your worse nightmare. 

He does though have optimism for the future, relearning how to get through the day, from the simplest tasks to the more complex ones. 

It’s not going to happen quickly, but he’s determined to master it. 

Since his accident he is aware of a tangible change in the way those that his friends and family have interacted.
He’s really aware of the coming together of people who know him. Old friends who’ve not seen eachother for years are now meeting up regularly. Russ’s family and friends are now much closer than they’ve been in the past. Something good seems to have come from something tragic, a greater awareness perhaps of what you can lose in a moment. 

The fragility of life and happiness perhaps seems closer now , to all those here tonight. 

As someone who for 46 years, it has to be said,  lived every day to the full, it’s Russ’s advice to you that life is there to make the most of, to be the best you can, to be the best person you can, to be the best parent/ husband/wife/ partner/ child you can be.
As well as giving all you can, you’ll set yourself up to recieve it, from your friends and family and who knows who else,   in the event that life as you know it is snatched away from you. 

Russ, until his accident, was never philosophical, and rarely thought more deeply than his next cycle ride or canoe paddle purchase. 

He wants you to remember that the same badly behaved guy is still there, albeit on 4 wheels now. 
He doesn’t want you to be any different to him than you were before. 

He needs a bit of time to adjust and fit his new lifestyle, but hopes that in time he’ll be able to help others in his situation. 
He’s happy to accept all the help offered to him, to forget the concept of struggling along by himself. We’re all here, as friends, to help eachother in times of difficulty.

Thank you all for coming tonight and for showing what great friends YOU are. 
Russ, and I, will never forget what you’ve done.  ”

The Spine-a-thon Day.

Events

My God, what a 24 hours….

It’s going to take me a couple of days to post pictures, post messages and write my recollections of the night. 
If anybody who was there wants to say
anything at all, please do, either by posting a ‘comment’ or emailing me, and I’ll stick it on. 
To say I was overwhelmed would be a gross understatement.
That so many family/friends/colleagues/employees strangers(!)  would reserve that date and dedicate their time to me is moving and humbling. 
300 or so people separately looked deep and straight into my eyes and touched my very soul. All barriers came down. People cried openly and without embarrassment  and people laughed loudly and honestly. 
It was the best party they’ve had at the Hogarth Club for quite a few years, and blimmin heck, they’ve had a few good ones…!
Fabulously emotional speeches were made,a naked press up competition was staged, and people drank themselves stupid. 
It was a celebration of a bright future, not a wake for what’s been lost. 
Hundreds came and ‘spun’ in the 40-strong spinning bike studio.  24 hours of generosity of time and spirit. 
Dan got hold of an ‘arm powered bike’ for me, and I had 3 stints on it. Determinedly I managed an hour on it, the final hour (5-6pm Saturday) of the 24 hour total. 
The mood in the room generated by the riders, inspired and egged on by the spinning instructors, was tear jerkingly incredible. People whooped, swayed, cheered and danced in their pedals. 
I have to say, it was FUCKING FANTASTIC. 
Friends did as many as 5 hours spinning.
 James Cacknell, and his mum and dad (!)    and the Big Man, Jason Leonard ( and his 2 boys) were amongst the many. 
  Rob Colliver sweated like a demon, as usual. 
Clare and Charlie came from America(!) Was truly wonderful to see them after so many years. I cried. 
Loads came from Wales. Yep, I cried again. 
My treasured brother, Alwyn, tried in vain to get around his 2am cancelled BA flight from Tokyo to be there. He was devastated to be absent. He cried. That got me going, again 
Alwyn, it’s ok. I know no one would have tried harder than you did. 
Finally, for now, I want to thank the outstanding staff at The Hogarth Health Club in Chiswick for doing what they did. 
Joanne Harris, Giles Stumpe, Terry Rodham, Jade Rodham, Berj,  Tim Slater, Ian Chaffey, Chris Juster, Adam Jones, Voj, all the spinning instructors, especially David Nivor, Dean, Vanessa, Charles, Barney and so many others. 
Big love to all the bar staff, receptionists, everybody that helped. Also to Holly, Maisie, Astrid and my angelic Amber for making and selling cakes, pancakes and God knows what for the cause, little Jimmy and Sherezade  from next door for being, at 6 and 7 the youngest spinners. 
I can’t name everyone, but I love you all. 
There’s one man that made it all possible. 
He no longer needs an introduction. 
At 12.30 AM he told me that ( 2nd only to his Stag Night, which I organised lol!) it was the best night of his life. 
I give you, the One And Only Dan White. 

18 hours and counting….

Events

…til the first batch of intrepid pedallers make the first push. 

I hope to be there at the start, with a whistle/ gun(?) / flag, or probably just to shout / whisper  ‘go’. 
It’s going to be a very emotional night for me, all of those kind hearted people there just for my charity. 
I’ll have seen quite a few of the 200 at one hospital or another over these last 4 strange months, but there’ll be a lot that I’ve not caught up with. 
Will it be awkward for them, or for me? Very few will have seen me in my wheelchair. A wheelchair categorises you, puts you in a bracket. I’m now a DISABLED person. There are signs telling people like me which way we’re best to go. The absence of a sign may well mean I cannot go there at all. 
In SM it’s easy, there are 110 of us scooting about. In the Hogarth tomorrow, it’ll be just me. All 3 foot 6 of me, two and a half feet shorter than before, looking up to everyone. 
As I write I’m not afraid of the prospect, but I now feel nervous. I still speak quietly, and tend to slur ( though this has gotten better ). It’ll be loud at the party, louder than anywhere I’ve been for 4 months. 
People will only hear me if they get pretty close. I’ll no doubt have a few drinks, and God, I do intend having a good time. 
I’ll apologise now for not being able to speak to, and thank, everyone who comes. 
But I am so grateful to all of them, as well as to the senders of the many emails that I’ve had recently. 
But above all else folks, whatever you do, have a laugh doing it. Make the most of every moment. 
Russ