Rehabilitation: Katherine Johnson stretches out at Landy Field.
JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
GOAL setting was never a strong suit for Geelong West’s Katherine Johnson before her accident.
The former rural journalist from a Western Australian farming family had a relaxed country attitude.
But during a visit home her modern, well-equipped car ran off the road and into a tree.
“I don’t really remember a lot about the accident,” Katherine said.
But the painstaking journey since was etched in her memory, from being wheelchair bound to learning to walk again.
“The messages from my brain to my right side get muddled,” the former netballer and rower explained.
“That might not be the right medical explanation but it pretty much describes what happens.
“I might look fine on the outside but sometimes I’m not fine on the inside.”
Katherine will take the next step on her journey to recovery when she competes in a Run Geelong charity fundraiser in November.
“I’m part of a group of three at McKellar Centre who all have acquired brain injuries. We’re entering as a group because we set that as our goal.
“You’ve got to have a positive attitude and set goals or you won’t get anywhere. I work as hard as I can to achieve my goals.”
Katherine trains with her carer every Monday at Geelong’s Landy Field before joining her fellow running hopefuls at McKellar Centre on Wednesdays for training in between physio appointments and swimming sessions.
“I had to work on learning how to run again,” Katherine said.
“I’m spending most of my time building up for the run because I want to do the best I can.
“I know I won’t be able to run the whole distance but I’m determined to complete the course.”
Katherine credited the staff at North Geelong’s McKellar Centre for her improvement.
“I came because I was told it was the best and I can only agree.
“I get the chance to talk to other people who are facing similar challenges. We get to share stories and realise we’re not facing them alone, plus you pick up ideas from people on how to cope with life’s little issues.
“I’ve come to realise it’s the simple things in life that are important. I wasn’t as positive before the accident as I am now.
“Before the accident I would read about people injured in cars and think ‘poor them’. They always say they never thought it would happen to them.
“But it happened to an everyday person – it happened to me. You can take all the precautions in the world but it still happened.
“How stupid are you if you take risks?”
