Long road back for hit and run athlete

Hit-and-run victim Daniel Anstis was run over in Chapel St after being knocked off his bike by a car door on Sunday night.

The promising athlete, 21, broke his leg during the incident, which occurred after he struck a car door outside Pizza Hutt.

"A car had parked there and the driver opened his door," he said. "I went smack into the door and was sent flying on to the road then a car drove past, ran over my leg and kept going."

He said while Pizza Hut staff phoned for an ambulance the driver of the car who had opened the car door, and others, attempted to help him.

"But the car that ran over me didn't stop and I didn't get a look at the car at all."

Daniel said he had been riding to Kuripuni.

It was after dark but he had a front light on his bike.

"The only reason I didn't have a tail light is the bike had one but it fell to pieces in a very short time."

The impact of the car shattered his left leg, breaking both the tibia and fibula.

" I have now got a big steel rod in my leg, but I didn't have to have it put in plaster.

"The only other injuries were grazed ribs."

Wearing a helmet had saved him from almost certain brain damage.

"I always wear my helmet mate."

The helmet was "munted" but Daniel said it was "better the helmet than my head".

And a mate who belongs to the same training group has already brought him a replacement.

"A far better one than I had, it's worth $200," he said.

Daniel, a former 400m national secondary school boy's bronze medallist and Wellington track and field champion in AWD (athletes with disability) 200m, 400m and long jump, has been forced to miss an important track and field contest in Auckland this week.

The road back to full health, and a return to the track, will be long - but Daniel is starting as soon as he is discharged from Wairarapa Hospital.

"I will have to do quite a bit of swimming to strengthen my leg, but I am a good swimmer," he said. "Then there will be a lot of physio and walking. I won't be going to any track meets for a while as I am a bit damaged but I will be able to run again."

Athletics is a huge part of Daniel's life. He normally trains five days a week, as well as holding down his job with Earthcare.

This involves working out with weights as well as Sports Bowl track work.

His stay in hospital has been punctuated by visits from wellwishers bearing gifts, including his mother Suzanne and stepfather Brendan Skittrup, fellow athletes, and his track manager Mark Harris.