Reece on right track

When Reece Crawford lines up for this year’s Jetty 2 Jetty (J2J) half marathon his athletic frame will mask a remarkable six-year journey.

It began on August 21, 2014, with the father-of-two from Lawnton lying in a coma at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital (RBWH). Doctors were unsure if he would wake, walk or talk again.

However, Reece has done all three – in spades – and much, much more.

Journey to Jetty 2 Jetty

The J2J, on October 4, will be his fifth half-marathon (21km), on top of completing four full marathons (42km), many fun runs and virtual half marathons.

Now the 33-year-old raises funds to help future patients at the RBWH’s neurosurgery ward – the ward Reece said “gave me my life back”.

It was there he began the long road to recovery after being hit while on his motor scooter riding home from work.

Reece was in a coma for 12 days and spent five weeks on the neurosurgery ward with a severe brain injury and facial fractures.

He was then transferred to the Prince Alexandra Hospital’s Brain Injury Rehabilitation Unit and on November 28 finally made it home – after three months and four days.

Slow road to recovery

Walking independently took seven weeks, eating and drinking another three months and after two years Reece rediscovered running.

“One day I was out for walk and decided to run,” Reece recalls, “I got 20m and realised I had no idea what I was doing. So, I went to my physio and just said I wanted to run.

“We worked on things and I did a 5km park run … and suffered for a week!”

In 2018, Reece tackled his first half-marathon and full marathon, in Brisbane.

Last year, he did the Melbourne Marathon.

“When I crossed the finish line in that first half marathon I broke down in tears,” Reece recalls, “I shouldn’t have got there. Luck has definitely played a part in all this.

“I want to carry on as long as I can do it, for the ward which gave me my life back.”

Want to enter this year’s Jetty to Jetty? Visit the website to sign up now.