A Penryn businessman was so determined to raise money for charity that not even a serious leg injury could stop him.
Mike Tomlinson, sales director at sustainability consultants, Lightwater Environmental Ltd, managed to complete the recent Eden half marathon even though he’d ruptured his Achilles tendon halfway through the course.
Despite being in agony Tomlinson decided to push through the pain barrier to complete the 13.1 mile race in his attempt to raise money for WaterAid.
“I’d reached the four mile stage when I started to feel my Achilles tighten but managed to keep going up to the six mile marker when I felt a pop and quite a bit of pain,” said Tomlinson, who was running in his first half marathon alongside his colleague, Jodie Stredder.
“I then made it to the seven mile drinks station and St John Ambulance where they iced it and strapped it for me. I hobbled the final six miles and completed it in 3 hours 30 minutes.”
It was only on his way home when Mike decided to stop at the casualty department that he discovered he had ruptured his Achilles tendon.
“Obviously at the time I hadn’t realised the level of damage and if I had then I would have bowed out gracefully,” he said.
“The St John team tried their best to talk me out of finishing but I so badly wanted to cross that line that I decided that I knew best!”
Lightwater’s office manager, Jodie Stredder, who’d persuaded Mike to run the race in her first week of joining the company, finished with a time of 2 hours and 36 minutes and no injuries!
While we can give kudos to the fellow for taking one for the team, I would have to say that the damage that could have been done by the activity deserves more of a “What were you thinking?” Hopefully he doesn’t come to regret the decision later on.
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