How to Be Superhuman

The Ironman with a broken neck: Tim Don, Series 1 Episode 8


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Tim Don was out for routine training ahead of the Kona IRONMAN World Championship when he had an accident with a truck - breaking his neck and leaving him with carbon fibre ring drilled into his skull (known as a 'halo') to help the fracture heal.

Just six months and five days later he completed the Boston Marathon in less than two hours and 50 minutes.

Rob Pope asks this extraordinary Superhuman about his brilliant career leading up to that horrific incident in Hawaii which led him to becoming a world record holder; what he remembers of the incident and how he recovered from the 'hangman's fracture' and not being able to move from his belly button up.

From having to sleep bolt upright in a chair, to having the screws in his skull regularly tightened to keep the halo place, Tim lays bare the torture he went through in what he describes as "the toughest two months of my life".

But through sheer dogged perseverance, Tim explains to Rob how he refused to let the accident – or his agonising brace – put his hopes of competing again on hold: continuing to train in the gym, and later on the turbo trainer, to gradually build up his strength and fitness. And as he reveals in the episode, his training and tenacity didn't just pay off. It led to a comeback of epic proportions...

Also watch the Red Bull TV documentary on Tim 'The Man with the Halo' http://win.gs/ManWithTheHalo

Listen to all episodes and discover more about How to Be Superhuman at http://redbull.com/superhuman
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How to Be SuperhumanBy Red Bull

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