''Inspirational'' Palmerston teenager Olivia Ollerenshaw has recovered from a near-death training crash to retain her South Island secondary schools duathlon title. Her inspiration was her father, Bryan, who died of cancer last year, John Lewis reports.
Lying in a hospital bed staring at the ceiling for several weeks certainly gives you plenty of time to think about your life.
Olivia Ollerenshaw says it was the closest to death she had felt, but also the time she felt most alive.
The 17-year-old East Otago High School head girl is a promising duathlete.
Soon after winning the South Island secondary schools duathlon in March last year, she was training on State Highway 85 early one morning when she was hit by a truck and trailer.
She suffered horrific injuries - two broken bones in her left leg, a broken rib, broken right shoulder blade and three breaks in her lower right arm, which was also ''de-gloved'' of all skin and muscle.
Emergency services workers thought she would most likely lose her right arm.
Even now, looking at medical photos and MRI scans of her injuries is difficult.
''They are pretty gruesome. People look at my arm now and think it looks awful, but I think it looks awesome compared to what it looked like after the accident.''
Olivia's recovery was long and slow, and included 13 operations.
She had metal pins put in her arm and leg, at least four skin grafts taken off a leg to repair her damaged arm and surgeons took muscle off her quads to replace damaged muscle in her right arm.
Perhaps her greatest battle during the initial stages of her rehabilitation was dealing with the fact her father, Bryan Ollerenshaw, was dying of cancer.
''All I was thinking was Dad isn't going to make it, and I won't be there to tell him how much I love him and say my goodbyes.
''I pleaded with my nurses to let me go home because I wanted to be with my family.''
At first, medical staff at Dunedin Hospital said she was too ill.
So Olivia pushed herself and within a few weeks went from needing four nurses to sit her up to standing on two feet and securely placing herself in a wheelchair.
Eventually, she was able to partially bear her own weight while walking with a crutch.
Her startling recovery prompted medical staff to reassess her and, with some misgivings, they discharged her.
Mr Ollerenshaw died 11 days later.
''After being in hospital, spending quality time with dad made me realise what is important in life, and I cherish every day. You don't know what the future holds.''
Fiercely determined, Olivia learnt to walk again, and eventually built up to cycling and running again, and passed NCEA level 2 with merit.
Less than a year after her crash, she was able to compete in the South Island secondary schools duathlon last weekend, retaining her title.
Incredibly, she completed the 2km run, 20km bike ride and another 5km run in 1hr 7min 21sec - four minutes faster than her time last year.
''I knew I needed to do it for Dad.
''During the race, I pictured him yelling support at me, as he would.
''I kept thinking of the smile that would have been on his face as I crossed the finish line. That's what drove me to do it four minutes faster.
''When I won the race, I was really happy about it, but I was also sad because he wasn't there.''
Olivia now plans to compete in the Christchurch duathlon next month, aiming for a place on the New Zealand team at the world championships later this year.
Her new philosophy is to live every day as though it is her last.
''You can't change things that have occurred in the past, but you can change things that will happen in the future.''
East Otago High School principal Lennox Sharp was full of praise for Olivia, saying she is the ultimate role model.
''Olivia is an example of a young person fiercely determined, who sets herself high goals and never gives up,'' Mr Sharp said.
''She is indeed an inspiration to us all.''
