An antidote to despair
I was on my way to shop at the local supermarket when it happened. As I pulled into the shop car park there was news of one power outage after another on the London Underground. By the time I came back to the car, the news was very different – this was a terrorist attack on London one day after the euphoria surrounding the winning of the Olympic bid. My in-laws were traveling across London that day, and I was worried.
A few hours later, they arrived safely – and we all watched the grim story as it unfolded. Unknown to us, one of the stories hidden amongst so many was that of marketing executive Martine Wright. She was running late that morning, got caught in the blast, and lost both her legs and 80% of her blood on that terrible morning. For many people, that might have been the beginning of the end. For her, it was the beginning of a long and upward struggle towards rehabilitation in many ways. Seven years on, she took her place as a Paralympian, playing volleyball at London 2012 for Team GB. Since then, she has often spoken about the dramatic impact which these events have had on her life:
Anything that opens your eyes to a world you might not be exposed to is good. I honestly think the people I’ve met since I lost my legs have made me a better person, more understanding.
I am not a big fan of marking every anniversary of 9/11 or 7/7 – lest we end up looking more backwards than forwards. However, on a day when I prepare to talk to primary school children about “aspiration” – I have a feeling that a heroine like Martine will only allow me to look forward anyway!
