Three amazing athletes are poised to speak about their against-all-odds comebacks at an inspirational event.
Triathlete Alexa Leary, champion snow skier Janine Shepherd and BMX racer Kai Sakakibara will be guest speakers at the Move For Lex Inspirational Luncheon, after all surviving near-death sporting accidents.
The event will be held at the Noosa Tigers Australian Football Club at Weyba Road, Noosaville, on July 9, and tickets are available to the public.
Lex, as she is known, suffered life-changing brain injuries in a horrific cycling accident, while training on the Sunshine Coast in July last year.
She spent two weeks in an induced coma in intensive care and two months in the neurosurgery ward.
Lex, from Noosa, had a successful triathlon career, winning a silver medal in the Junior World Titles in Switzerland, before she found herself in the fight of her life to survive and move again.
Her strength and determination inspired the campaign #moveforlex, a community connection to encourage people to move for those who can’t.
The Leary family want to give those “movingforlex” the opportunity to help make a difference to ICU patients and families through fundraising.
Meanwhile, Janine Shepherd, one of Australia’s best skiers, was hit by a truck while riding in the Blue Mountains in 1986, during her Olympic preparations.
Paralysed and in hospital for close to six months, she ultimately defied the odds by creating a new life, personally and professionally.
Janine rekindled her defiant spirit in a dramatically improbable way. Seeing a small plane fly overhead one day, she declared: “that’s it, if I can’t walk, I’ll fly”. She is now an aviator.
Help us deliver more news by registering for our free daily news feed. All it requires is your name and email. See SUBSCRIBE at the top of this article.
Kai Sakakibara was one of Australia’s top BMX riders and aiming for the Tokyo Olympics, when he suffered a serious injury in a race in 2020.
It left him in a coma for two months, with severe brain trauma.
But he continues to improve with astounding drive.
Tickets are limited for the event, which will include live music, gourmet eats by Rococo, beer, wine and soft drinks, from 11.15am until 2pm.
For more information on the July 9 luncheon, see Noosa Tigers – Move For Lex Day and for more information on the Move For Lex campaign and fundraising, see Move For Lex.
