Crash victim goes from coma to competition in four months

RETURN: Carol Harwood is getting back on her bike thanks to the generosity of a local events company. PHOTO/FILE

Carol Harwood is the first to agree she's come a long way in four months.

She doesn't look like a former comatose patient, the victim of a bike crash involving a ute.

In a couple of weeks Ms Harwood will be back on her bike for her first major cycling event since the crash, which left her in a coma for two days and nursing a fractured cheekbone.

At the time of that crash she had been training 15 hours a week, preparing for the Lake Taupo Cycle Challenge. After learning she was not entitled to a deferment to next year's event Rotorua-based events management company Event Promotions decided to give her a free entry to its main cycling event, the Avanti 100km Flyer, which goes from Rotorua to Taupo on April 5.

"I'm quite humbled," Ms Harwood said.

"It was a really nice gesture. It's driven me a bit to want to try to keep going and do a few different things. I don't know if I would have done it otherwise. Having so many people behind me has helped my recovery, I don't feel so alone."

She said she had received support from Rotorua Association of Triathletes, Cycling Rotorua Inc, Ride Central, Event Promotions and her workplace, Damar Industries. This week marked her first full week back at work since the November 27 crash.

"Everyone has been amazing and they're keen to hear the progress I'm making."

Her first road ride following the crash was on February 9, she completed 60km, including negotiating the roundabout where she was knocked from her bike.

"I had a couple of friends with me to make sure I was okay. It was nice to be out, although I didn't think I would ride that far. It wasn't an option to give up cycling, it was more that I didn't know how I would feel. Now I'm more conscious of how erratic some drivers can be, as well as pedestrians."

In the four months since the crash she has also completed the Otago Rail Trail, riding the 160km in mid-February, and on March 9 she ran the Copthorne Hotel Offroad Quarter Marathon.

"It's everyone's support that's pulling me along."

She said she was only able to train for about seven hours a week due to fatigue and allowing her body to recover.