A marathon-mad amputee completed the grueling Comrades Marathon six years after he lost a foot in a car accident and assumed he would never run again.
Lusikisiki athlete David Samuels, 46, gritted his teeth and ran through the pain in his stump during Sunday’s tough 87km up-run from Durban to Maritzburg and finished more than two hours before the official cut-off time – ahead of thousands of able-bodied runners.
“I got so much encouragement on the road. People were shocked and amazed to see me running Comrades on a prosthetic foot,” he said.
Samuels’s Comrades comeback stepped up a gear late last year after the Daily Dispatch wrote about his dream of completing the epic race as an amputee.
East London prosthetist Roland Toogood stepped up with an offer to make him a R90000 state-of-the-art carbon fibre foot instead of the heavy walking prosthetic he had been using before.
“I was so excited I did not feel a lot of pain during the race.”
Afterwards was a different story as the pain of pounding the stump for thousands of steps to get to the finish line really set in.
“I got very sore but luckily I did not get any blisters like I did using my old foot.”
Although he has completed several 68km Legends Marathons between King William’s Town and East London on his antiquated foot, this year’s Comrades was the first time Samuels used his new limb and upped the distance.
He did four Comrades prior to the accident.
“I love the Comrades. It felt so good to be in the race. My new running foot made me feel like I was improving my time step-by-step.”
Inspired to keep going, Samuels has now set his sights on getting others to reach for the stars despite the odds being stacked against them by competing in more ultra marathons around the country.
Samuels’s dream to run the Comrades again may not have become a reality if East London medical rep Robyn Lentz had not bumped into the Bambisana Hospital stores assistant during a visit late last year and contacted the Dispatch.
After qualifying for the Comrades on his old foot, an excited Samuels was finally fitted with his new limb in April but almost did not make the starting line when his stump got infected a week before the race from all the training he was doing.
“It was red and angry and he was running a fever.
“He went to the doctor and was put on intravenous antibiotics for three consecutive days.”
Days before the race he was put on fairly high doses of cortisone to reduce the inflammation before being cleared to run.
Lentz said she could not believe it when Samuels crossed the finish line.
“I was leaping around the lounge, squealing with awed amazement at this man’s determination, strength, courage and perseverance.”
“What spirit he has.”
Toogood said yesterday when he saw Samuels’s “cry for help” in the Dispatch to run the Comrades he knew he had to help.
Besides sponsoring the prosthetic, the East London prosthetist also helped kit him out for the race.
He said it took an “extra special” athlete to complete the grueling race in bronze medal time – with a prosthetic foot. — davidm@dispatch.co.za
David makes Comrades with one foot
Lusikisiki athlete David Samuels, 46, gritted his teeth and ran through the pain in his stump during Sunday’s tough 87km up-run from Durban to Maritzburg and finished more than two hours before the official cut-off time – ahead of thousands of able-bodied runners.
“I got so much encouragement on the road. People were shocked and amazed to see me running Comrades on a prosthetic foot,” he said.
Samuels’s Comrades comeback stepped up a gear late last year after the Daily Dispatch wrote about his dream of completing the epic race as an amputee.
East London prosthetist Roland Toogood stepped up with an offer to make him a R90000 state-of-the-art carbon fibre foot instead of the heavy walking prosthetic he had been using before.
“I was so excited I did not feel a lot of pain during the race.”
Afterwards was a different story as the pain of pounding the stump for thousands of steps to get to the finish line really set in.
“I got very sore but luckily I did not get any blisters like I did using my old foot.”
Although he has completed several 68km Legends Marathons between King William’s Town and East London on his antiquated foot, this year’s Comrades was the first time Samuels used his new limb and upped the distance.
He did four Comrades prior to the accident.
“I love the Comrades. It felt so good to be in the race. My new running foot made me feel like I was improving my time step-by-step.”
Inspired to keep going, Samuels has now set his sights on getting others to reach for the stars despite the odds being stacked against them by competing in more ultra marathons around the country.
Samuels’s dream to run the Comrades again may not have become a reality if East London medical rep Robyn Lentz had not bumped into the Bambisana Hospital stores assistant during a visit late last year and contacted the Dispatch.
After qualifying for the Comrades on his old foot, an excited Samuels was finally fitted with his new limb in April but almost did not make the starting line when his stump got infected a week before the race from all the training he was doing.
“It was red and angry and he was running a fever.
“He went to the doctor and was put on intravenous antibiotics for three consecutive days.”
Days before the race he was put on fairly high doses of cortisone to reduce the inflammation before being cleared to run.
Lentz said she could not believe it when Samuels crossed the finish line.
“I was leaping around the lounge, squealing with awed amazement at this man’s determination, strength, courage and perseverance.”
“What spirit he has.”
Toogood said yesterday when he saw Samuels’s “cry for help” in the Dispatch to run the Comrades he knew he had to help.
Besides sponsoring the prosthetic, the East London prosthetist also helped kit him out for the race.
He said it took an “extra special” athlete to complete the grueling race in bronze medal time – with a prosthetic foot. — davidm@dispatch.co.za
Would you like to comment on this article?
Register (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Trending Now
Latest Videos