“It’s like full body conditioning, with my arms and legs involved at the same time, like a cross trainer sitting down.”
— Sarah O.
Sarah was 16 when she suffered a C7 spinal cord injury due to a car accident.
Sarah was first introduced to FES when she participated in a FES rowing program in London. She found rowing to be too aggressive on her hips and stopped rowing. However, she enjoyed the physical activity it gave her, and continued to assess FES systems until she began using the RT300 at Neurolink in Wimbledon. Neurolink also introduced her to the RT200.
Sarah got her own RT200 and says its “one of the the best investments I have made.”
Sarah does two to three sessions on her RT200, or as much as she wants, and four to five sessions standing with the aid of a standing frame and a personal training session at Neurolink.
“My breathing feels stronger and I have a stronger cough when I need it, which is tremendous. I do not need the stimulation for my arms, but obviously do for my legs, which have now returned to normal size, which is also great. I get relief from spasms for a period of time after each session, but when they return, they are stronger because my muscles are stronger. The improved circulation also helped me recover faster from insect bites on my legs during a recent holiday in Mexico.”
Sarah is an Independent Spinal Injuries Researcher and Consultant and Human Rights Practitioner. Her life so far has included getting a degree form Edinburgh University, her Masters at the University of London, working in Afterica for a NGO, working part times as a model, swimming, skiing, backpacking across Australia and New Zealand, and scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef.
We can’t wait to see what you are up to next, Sarah!
