New injury for trust founder

The woman who has done more to raise funds and awareness for spinal cord injury research than just about any other New Zealander is now battling another spinal injury.

Catriona Williams, former top equestrian and founder of the Catwalk Spinal Cord Injury Research Trust, is recovering in hospital after an accident in her Masterton home on June 5.

Williams was upbeat about her prospects in a short statement she made to The Dominion

Post through family on Wednesday.

‘‘We know this road well. It’s not any easy one but with the tremendous support I’ve been lucky enough to receive, we know everything is possible.’’

Williams suffered her first spinal cord injury during a horse riding accident almost 20 years ago. It left her a tetraplegic, but she refused to let the injury beat her. She established the Catwalk trust in 2005, which has raised millions of dollars to fund research into medical solutions for those in a similar position.

Family spokeswoman Angela Irving said Williams ‘‘continued to make great progress’’ after spinal cord surgery at Christchurch Hospital in the days after the recent accident.

Williams was transferred to Burwood Hospital for further recuperation and was ‘‘already zipping around in her power chair’’.

‘‘The specialists are rapt with her progress.

It’s very much business as usual in terms of being in touch with friends, family and the SCI [spinal cord injury] community,’’ Irving said.

Williams was made a Member of New Zealand Order of Merit in 2014 for services to spinal cord injury research.

Her illustrious equestrian career before her accident saw Williams reach the pinnacle of the show jumping and three-day eventing world, representing New Zealand at Badminton and the Open European Championships.

Williams and her husband, Sam, run the successful racehorse stud Little Avondale near Masterton.