London Marathon 2012: Paralysed Claire Lomas Reaches Finishing Line After 16 Days

Paralysed Marathon Participant Finishes 16 Days After Starting

Paralysed Claire Lomas has completed the London Marathon after 16 days, becoming the first person ever to complete the race in a bionic suit.

Lomas crossed the finishing line on The Mall having started the 26.2 mile route on 22 April with some 36,000 other participants.

The 32-year-old, from Eye Kettleby, near Melton Mowbray, Leicestershire, was left paralysed from the chest down following a horse riding accident in 2007.

So far she has raised around £85,000 for Spinal Research, a charity which funds medical research around the world to develop reliable treatments for paralysis caused by a broken back or neck.

An emotional Lomas smiles:

Ms Lomas has walked around two miles a day, cheered on by husband Dan, mother Joyce and 13-month-old daughter Maisie.

But Ms Lomas will not appear in the official results or receive a medal when she finishes, organisers confirmed, as competitors have to finish the course on the same day to qualify for a medal.

A number of celebrities have also lent their support by walking a mile alongside her, including TV presenter Gabby Logan and husband, former international rugby star Kenny, and TV presenter and adventurer Ben Fogle.

The mother-of-one broke her neck, back and ribs and punctured a lung when her horse Rolled Oats threw her off as she took part in the Osberton Horse Trials in Nottinghamshire in 2007.

Claire Balding tweeted from the finishing line:

The £43,000 ReWalk suit, designed by Israeli entrepreneur Amit Goffer, enables people with lower-limb paralysis to stand, walk and climb stairs through motion sensors and an onboard computer system.

A shift in the wearer's balance, indicating their desire to take, for example, a step forward, triggers the suit to mimic the response that the joints would have if they were not paralysed.

To sponsor Ms Lomas online visit www.justgiving.com/Claire-Lomas.

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