To the Arctic and beyond – via SPACE
Fiona Lindsay has a goal. She aims to become the first woman to make a true crossing of the Antarctic continent from coast to coast, via the South Pole.
She will be on skis, using huge kites as wind power and having to pull a sledge behind her carrying equipment. The entire crossing will take 75 days complete in 50 degrees celcius below freezing.
Fiona is also a SPACE patient, and has been a regular visitor since an injury to her knee caused a delay to her preparations. In January of this year, a torn cartilage was causing Fiona problems when training for the expedition which, at the time, involved her dragging three tyres up Arthur’s Seat. As a physio in Edinburgh herself, she knew she required urgent attention.
She was seen by physiotherapist Stephen Mutch, who managed to get an appointment with fellow SPACE Director Gordon Mackay for an orthopaedic assessment at the clinic in Dalry Road the following day. Fiona was operated on by the end of the week, and returned for her post-op physio appointment within a week of the initial injury - much to her amazement!
She has followed a plan of rehabilitation similar to those that many SPACE patients will be familiar with: sessions on the bed followed by extensive knee control exercises on the vibration platform; Total Gym; and combinations of bungee, trampet & BOSU drills. She has come on so well that she was able to make her first kite and sledge training visit to Norway last month, and now embarks on a 400-mile crossing of the Greenland Arctic. This is not only to plan and practise for the Antarctic Adventure later this year, but also to raise awareness and funds for the most northerly orphanage in the world. This expedition is called Cairn’s ‘Greenland’s Children’ Expedition.
Norway was very successful but Fiona returned complaining of a tendinopathy in the opposite knee! This was very painful, but some simple exercises and occasional taping could immediately change the pain. However, with Fiona heading into minus 30 degrees, conventional tape was a potential risk factor due to the possible heat build up resulting in a sweat which can quickly turn into ice and cause frost bite. Stephen decided to try out a more breathable tape, and opted for kinesiotape in these extreme conditions, which we at SPACE reckon will be the first time it has ever been used in such temperatures! By reducing the amount of load on the quadriceps muscle at the front of the thigh, the tendon is under less strain.
We are all looking forward to hearing how the taping, and the trip, is going. As one of a team of four on this expedition, Fiona has to carry everything she needs, so space and weight is at a premium. She has a blog on www.greenlands-children.co.uk so log on if you fancy keeping updated on this adventure as it unfolds. On departure she thanked SPACE, with special mentions for Stephen & Gordon in particular, saying:
“Thank you for everything you have done in the last few months. There is no doubt I couldn’t have even started this without your help.”
And Fiona will be back at SPACE central in the summertime as we try to take her on to her ultimate ambition: the Antarctic Land Crossing.
|
