SNN_December_2023

NEW ZEALAND SPINAL TRUST 16
GETTING READY—Brendon Vercoe and Hans Wouters out for a quiet ride ahead of the Cape2Bluff. Credit: John Davidson.
Brendon was immensely grateful for the support from his
family, friends, colleagues, and the public with a special
mention to his support crew.
“Your encouragement fuelled my determination, and
your collective support will remain etched in my heart.
Thank you for being the unwavering force that
accompanied me, even when the road was cut short.”
Inspired by the people he’s helped
Over the past decade Brendon has been inspired by
people who have sustained spinal cord impairments and
never given up in their recovery.
—Brendon Vercoe
The blood, sweat and
tears I put into this pale
in comparison to the
rehabilitation journey post
spinal cord impairment.
“This challenge was about seeing what grit and
determination I have,” he says. “And the difference here, I
guess, is that I've chosen this challenge, whereas those
people that I worked with certainly didn't choose to be in
that position.”
He says the resilience these people have shown in the
face of adversity gave him a sense of perspective.
“When I was in those positions where I was hurting and
it was so unbelievably hard, I drew upon that and
reminded myself that there are others doing it much
tougher than me.”
Brendon has seen the work the NZ Spinal Trust does
first-hand and says: “it's amazing”. Brendon wanted to
highlight the need to support people living with a
disability and the great work of the NZ Spinal Trust.
“If I have helped people in our communities become
aware of the help and support that is available to them,
then it’s all worthwhile.”
Unconditional support
Brendon says the support and encouragement of his wife
Nicole made the effort possible. “There was a significant
amount of time away from the family training to make
sure I was ready.
COVID-19—The dreaded result that ruled out the Cape2Bluff.