McGuire Runs For Brain Injury Awareness

McGuire Runs For Brain Injury Awareness

 

Written by Peter McIntyreThursday, 17 November 2011 05:52

David McGuire didn't let the snowy conditions in Vernon Wednesday stop his quest to run a marathon a day.

The 38 year old is running across Canada to raise awareness of brain injuries, and BrainTrust Canada.

The BC native says he's seen worse weather on his trek, which started in St. John's Newfoundland April 1.

He tells KISS FM, "You know, it's not as bad as Newfoundland. It wasn't a whiteout condition, and I wasn't going up a huge hill that had a 180 kilometer an hour wind warning, so today wasn't that bad."

McGuire has run about 7-thousand kilometres so far, the equivalent of a marathon a day (26 miles-42 kilometres).

The Burnaby resident ran 39 km's on Wednesday, despite the snow.

McGuire--who almost died from a stroke-caused brain injury six years ago--wants to inspire people to take precautions from concussions, and other brain injuries.

"At the end of the day, I just want people to recognize the importance of the head. That's who you are. Without it, you're not you anymore."

McGuire stopped at the Nixon Wenger legal building and spoke to Vernon Viper players about concussions, which coach Jason Williamson says they take seriously.

"Sometimes it's hard to know (if a player has a concussion), but we always lean on the side of precaution. Dr Gavin Smart sees most of our players and makes sure they're 100 percent before they go back."

McGuire says just wearing a helmet while playing sports or biking can make a huge difference.

"If I can get one person to put on a helmet, this (run) is worth it, and I'm happy. That's the whole goal, to get people talking about it, and understanding that a concussion is a brain injury."

The Vipers were going to run with McGuire with a police escort into Vernon, but that was scrapped due to the snow and police being tied up with accidents.

McGuire ends his run in Victoria December 9th.

In 2005, McGuire fell and struck his head in the bathroom of his apartment in Burnaby, and suffered several strokes over the next few hours. He was found lying naked and bleeding from the head, leading police to initially believe he had been assaulted.

Doctors had to remove a chunk of his skull to let his brain swell, and his family was told he may never walk or talk again.

Within a year, McGuire, a former bank call centre worker and video game player, had ran in the Chicago Marathon.

He still has challenges, including no short-term memory, meaning some days he doesn't remember the marathon he ran the day before. 

Photo: David McGuire poses with members of the Vernon Vipers during a stop at Nixon Wenger Wednesday (P McIntyre photo)