Amy Telfer

At the beginning of 2020 I started tramping to get fit. I decided to walk the Otago Central Rail Trail, which is a 152 kilometre journey across the South Island's central plains. I did it over 12 days and raised funds for the Brain Injury Association Otago along the way. I imagine some people would think that walking day in and day out across a flat landscape wouldn't be overly challenging but it's a different story when you have a brain injury. Walking up and down hills requires you to focus on balancing your body and watching your step so you don't fall over. Walking on a flat surface meant I needed to stop myself from getting distracted or forgetting what I was doing. The hardest part was actually the heat. I had to leave first thing in the morning because by 11 a.m, it was pushing 30 degrees. I knew my limits. I stopped when I stopped and I went when I went. I didn't dawdle but I did enjoy the sights along the way. I met some lovely people who I chatted to about my challenge and the Brain Injury Association. They cheered me on and donated. It was incredible.

I think living with a brain injury requires you to redefine what you perceive as success. Some define it as having a high paying job, whereas success for me is about living a fulfilling life and instilling good values in my children. I like to give back to my community; I want to leave the world a better place than I found it.

Reassessing your expectations in some areas of your life can be important for people with brain injuries because so many of us are dealing with fatigue. Our brain is working overtime to do things other people's brains are doing easily. But that doesn't mean you don't challenge yourself. You've got to keep pushing and continue to grow as a person.

I've done a lot of pushing and growing since my brain injury. I was 16 years old when it happened and the doctors told my parents that potentially I would never walk again. I'm glad they never said that to me but even if they had, I wouldn't have listened. I was a typical stubborn teenager. I was determined to recover and live a full life even though at the beginning it was literally one foot in front of the other.

I was really proud to raise awareness and money for the Otago branch of the Brain Injury Association. I've been involved with them since their formation and have spent time on the committee as secretary and treasurer and continue to remain in the background, available to help if needed. I'm fortunate to have an amazing, supportive husband and family. They know they live with an exhausted woman and they're really understanding. There are people who don't have that support at home, that's why the work that the Brain Injury Association does is so important. As well as the social support, they also provide information and guidance. In a strange way, I felt like they gave me permission to own my injury and choose my path wherever it might take me. They helped me realise that it's okay to have a brain injury and to say 'yes it is there, I can't avoid it and I can't hide it, so what's next?'

"They helped me realise that it's okay to have a brain injury and to say 'yes it is there, I can't avoid it and I can't hide it, so what's next?"