In 2008 Frank Kleinitz was 41 and working in Qatar as an engineer when he had a motor bike accident and suffered a spinal injury.
The accident left him with paraplegia from the waist down, but it has not stopped him living a full and interesting life.
“I didn’t want to be defined by being in a wheelchair,” he said.
Now settled on his small farm at Nungurner and working in IT, Frank has enjoyed many trips on his modified motorbikes, having just completed a four-day ride around Tasmania.
He also does time trials but is very aware if he has an accident and injures his shoulders or arms his independent life will be seriously impeded.
Scuba diving and canoeing are other activities he enjoys and he has completed dives in Palau and Monado this year.
With the initial accident Frank, being an engineer, thought “surely I can be fixed”, but soon had to face the realisation that research was a long way off for such conditions.
“My sister Margie flew straight to Qatar when the accident happened, then my brother and other sisters. This family support has helped me get on with my life,” he said.
Margie, who is 55 and lives in America, and Frank, are close in age and have a close relationship. She has now been inspired to run the New York Marathon on November 3, to help raise funds for the Christopher Reeve Foundation for research into spinal injury.
“I am not an athlete, in fact as a child my dad would call me ‘Bumblefoot’ jokingly, but I had dreamt of doing a marathon,” Margie, who is currently visiting her childhood home in Nungurner, said.
“When I visited in January, I did the Lakes Entrance parkrun with my sister Catherine and talking to her about my dream I decided to just do it. As I only ever wanted to do one marathon I thought I will go for the big one.
“Frank has always inspired me with his attitude and focus on what he can do, not self pity about what he can’t. It is because of the mindset he brings to life, I will push myself to do this.”
Margie plans to run the entire 42 kilometres and while visiting Nungurner she has been in training. When the Lakes Post visited she had just completed a run from Nicholson to Bruthen.
“On Sunday I ran from Nungurner to St Brendans and met my father there to attend church. I never thought I’d run to church but on that day endured two flash hail storms, a black snake and heavy rain,” she said.
Margie has already raised $10,000 but if you would like to make a donation you can so at the Give Reeve website. The New York Marathon is held on November 3 and you can follow her progress on Facebook or Instagram.
