Injured Rugby Player To Take On 10K With Fiancee

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A rugby player who was left unable to walk after he broke his femur while playing is to take on a 10k challenge with his fiancée who he says was ‘instrumental’ in his recovery.

David Runciman, from Bristol, broke his upper leg during a rugby match in Cheltenham in an accident that caused one of his bones to snap in two.

David, 31, could not walk for ten weeks after undergoing an operation to insert a metal rod into his bone at Gloucester Royal Hospital.

He remained in contstant pain and was sofa bound when he began his rehabilitation.

His fiancée Shawni Sergeant, a sports therapist from Bristol, juggled a busy working life to support him and provide therapy for him during his recovery.

After making a remarkable recovery through Shawni’s help that allowed him to get back on his feet, David decided to set himself a challenge to sign up to the Simpyhealth Great Bristol 10k, almost a year to the day when he became injured.

As Shawni, 26, had also played such a large part in his recovery, she decided she wanted to join David at the 10k, which takes place on Sunday 7 May.

David said: “I struggled to do a lot of things by myself so Shawni juggled her busy working life to help me at home.

“During this time I realised how having full use of your body and being able to walk or run is really taken for granted.

“When I was confined to the sofa, I vowed to use this experience to come back fitter and stronger and to push myself forward in all areas of life.

“Shawni wanted to use her experience as a sports therapist to help me get through my recovery and get me active again.

“Her treatment and support was instrumental as she pushed me to my limits and helped me get better again.

“She gave me treatment and exercises to focus on and even my consultant was impressed with how advanced my recovery was. This was definitely due to Shawni’s care and compassion.”

After David began to find his feet again in January, he and Shawni began training together for the Simplyhealth Great Bristol 10k, which features a picturesque course where runners pass iconic sights such as the Avon Gorge and the Clifton Suspension Bridge.

The couple will join over 12,000 others on a day that is perfect for all ages and abilities, with the Simplyhealth Great Bristol Family Mile taking place on the same day.

David hopes that the event, which will be his first ever organised run, will inspire him to continue on a journey to be more active and to set an example for anyone else who has experienced similar injuries.

He added: “After about five or six months, I felt that my recovery began to plateau and I struggled a lot and having someone there like Shawni really helped me through her hard work and dedication.

“At the beginning of this year I finally felt ready to embrace a new challenge and the Simplyhealth Great Bristol 10k was perfect for me as the run falls almost a year to the day of my injury.

“I wanted to enter this to give myself a goal to aim towards in my recovery and to prove to myself that all the hard work and frustrations have been worth it.

“Shawni has been by my side throughout my recovery so we knew it was only right that she should join my on this challenge.

“We started training together and are really enjoying pushing each other and running more together for support.

“I hope that by doing this, we can embark on a new journey to inspire others to do the same and believe in themselves.”

Entries for the Simplyhealth Great Bristol 10k and the Simplyhealth Great Bristol Family Mile are open: Greatrun.org/Bristol10k