Simon Baker was a plasterer until a workplace accident ultimately saw his leg amputated. Simon hopes to complete the Dublin Marathon in 3:30 or better and find Ireland’s first amputee runner for the Paralympics 2016.
My name is Simon Baker and I lost my leg in 2004 from a building site accident. I had been working as a Plasterer for 20 years.The incident that changed my life in 2004 appeared trivial enough; it was the simplest of accidents that caused me to fall 12ft shattering the bones in my leg. After months of heavy medication, failed operations and countless hospital admissions I made the life changing decision to have the leg amputated below the knee. I made this difficult decision so that I could regain control of my life and begin recovery. Once the surgery was over I found myself in an unfamiliar place with financial and employment worries.
In 2008 after a battle with depression I realised that I needed a challenge to turn my life around and this took the form of entering the Dublin Marathon. I completed the marathon earning myself a place in the Guinness Book of Records (Fastest Marathon on Crutches on One Leg). After this I decided I was going to set myself a challenge each year raising funds at the same time for various charities.
In 2010 I was lucky enough to get a chance to train in a six week white collar boxing camp were by I got to train with Olympic boxing champion Michael Carruth, 2011 I walked from Dublin to Limerick in 5.5 days on crutches and on one leg [240 km]. In 2011 with the help of the Fai I set up Irelands first Amputee football Team.[ Google ; Irish Amputee Football Association].
Every time I completed a challenge I was asked the question of why did I not use the prosthesis Since I got my first prosthetic leg, I have had a desire to run [not that I was ever into running when I had 2 legs] After some research I realised that not much had been done in Ireland to promote running as a sport for amputees and that there had never been a time recorded for an amputee to run a marathon in Ireland. This gave me the idea for the next challenge, I wanted to see if I could put a professional team of experts together [Jason Kenny Strength Training and Nutritional Coach , Alan Ward University of Limerick Arena, Dr Ian Kenny and Drew Harrison Biomechanics (Department of Physical Education and sports sciences , University of Limerick IDS AND Otto Bock Prosthetics Cappagh Hospital Finglas Dublin] and in 9 months could they get me 45 year old, smoker ,none runner to complete the Dublin Marathon in 3.30hrs. I am no fitness fanatic and sometimes I put all this madness down to midlife crises but since my accident it has taught me to try and get the most out of life, pushing myself to the limits and out of my comfort zone . I have been a very lucky man , having met some amazing people throughout my many challenges , people who have offered me there help and giving their services , which has helped me in my aim of promoting sport and being active for Amputees in Ireland .
For more Details go to the website ; https://outonalimbproject.weebly.com/index.html
Simon Baker and Jason Kenny on Ireland AM July 19th 2012, talking about the new challenge ‘Out on a Limb’.