A NORTHSIDE woman, who overcame a serious skiing accident three years ago, was celebrating recently after receiving a Gaisce Gold Award from President Michael D Higgins.
Karen Mulligan was among the Dubliners who received the prestigious award at a ceremony in Dublin Castle.
In January 2011, Karen (21), from Sutton, broke her vertebrae in the accident while skiing in a ski resort in the French Alps.
Emergency neurosurgery followed, but through sheer determination, the inspirational former Santa Sabina student, got her body back on track and was able to walk again.
When the accident occurred, Karen was in the middle of the prestigious Gaisce – The President’s Award – programme which fosters and develops young people’s potential.
However, not only did she walk again, amazingly she also took up running for Physical Recreation, one of the five Gaisce Participant Goals in the programme.
Karen told Northside People:
“I had broken my T12 vertebrae (12th thoracic vertebrae in the spine) and without the skill of modern surgeons, running and indeed walking, would have been things of my past.
“The Gaisce award helped me to stay motivated throughout my recovery.
“The following August after months of swimming, core strengthening and physiotherapy I began to run again. I was told by my doctor to be realistic in my goals as running is such a high impact sport.
“So I started small. I began with no more than 10 minutes’ running at an excruciatingly slow pace and built it up from there. I was still seeing my physio, Jonathan, every few weeks to monitor my progress.
“By the following March (2012) I was up to 30 minutes but wasn’t covering much distance (3-4 km) so that was my next focus. I ran four times a week throughout the summer.
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Karen said that on a visit to her friend Maeve in New York, they ran around Central Park in glorious sunshine.
“Although I struggled several times during the hour and a half we ran that day, it was the first time I remember feeling that I had got my body back,
? she stated.
“I decided to finish my Physical Recreation for the Gold award by taking part in the
‘Mark Pollock Run in the Dark’.
“Mark Pollock is a pioneer in spinal cord injury recovery and therefore I felt that this was an appropriate event to finish my challenge as had it not been for sheer luck I would be in his position.
“Mark himself is paralyzed after a fall that happened in 2010 having already succumbed to blindness when he was just 22. He is known worldwide for his motivational speaking.
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The Run in the Dark event is held in Dublin every November.
“I ran the 5km race finishing with a time of 29 minutes and 22 seconds,
? said Karen.
“We all had glow in the dark armbands which looked so beautiful, lighting up Dublin’s docklands.
“It was so amazing to meet Mark at the end of the race; he’s a phenomenal guy.
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Karen said she was delighted to win the award.
“The programme was a great thing to be involved in,
? she said.
“There was great variety in it and I was lucky to get the opportunities I got.
“I started it when I was 16 as a challenge and it just snowballed from there. I won the Bronze and Silver Awards while I was at Santa Sabina.
“Despite the accident, I was determined to get the Gold Award and I received great encouragement from my friend, Maeve Judge.
“It was a freak accident and very scary at the time but fortunately I recovered.
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As well as Physical Recreation, Karen achieved her other four goals – Community Involvement, Personal Skill, Adventure Journey and Residential Project.
Karen is planning to do a Postgraduate in Medicine when she completes her final year at Trinity College where she is studying Genetics,
When asked whether she will ever go skiing again she replied:
“The accident wouldn’t put me off and I’m hoping to go again next year!
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