Glory’s Liberty A-League squad were privileged to receive a visit from the remarkable Mark Elsing at the end of last week.
In 2014, Mark spent 12 months in hospital following a severe stroke which doctors said would leave him unable to eat, walk or talk.
He was given a two percent chance of surviving the first 24 hours and woke from a coma after three months to learn that he could not walk or talk.
Mark duly spent several years at Brightwater’s Acquired Brain Injury Rehabilitation Centre in East Victoria Park (known as Brightwater Oats Street) and says that during his time there, he recognised he had been given another chance at life.
Not content with simply continuing to defy the medical odds, last year he smashed the world record for the longest distance travelled in a wheelchair with one arm, achieving 11.1kms (the previous record was 4.1kms).
He has now set his sights on another ambitious fitness challenge to raise funds for Brightwater Group’s new Huntington’s disease Campus in Piara Waters, namely a gruelling upper body ergometer challenge on the eve of International Day of People with Disability – Friday 2 December 2022.
Under the guidance and training of Matt Fuller from Lord’s Gym in Subiaco, Mark hopes to ‘travel’ 65km using a machine known as a ‘grinder’ (an upper body ergometer).His goal is the equivalent of driving from Perth to Mandurah but Mark is not deterred by the number.“I want to show those who are at the crossroads in their rehabilitation after a brain injury, that nothing is impossible!” he said.
Glory ALW Head Coach Alex Epakis, meanwhile, was blown away by Mark’s incredible courage and determination.“Mark’s story is unbelievably inspiring,” he said, “and you could see the huge impression he made upon our players and staff.
“We will be continuing to support him as he undertakes his next amazing challenge and are hugely grateful that he found the time to come and share his moving and uplifting story with us.”
For more information about the Brightwater Group’s Oats Street Brain Injury Rehabilitation Centre, click HERE.
And check all the club’s media platforms for further news of Mark’s remarkable work.
#ONEGlory
