Spinal injury rugby player wins awardRSS Feed

A rugby player who suffered a spinal injury that left him in a wheelchair has been recognised for his charity work.

David Millar, who sustained a severe spinal injury whilst playing rugby in New Zealand over 20 years ago, was honoured with the Spirit of Rugby award from the Bill McLaren Foundation, reports the Scotsman newspaper.

Millar was presented with the award after returning to New Zealand earlier this year where he completed a 250-mile tour of the South Island on his specially-crafted hand-cycle.

He has raised over £30,000 for spinal injury research as a result.

On his website for the journey, called The Mighty Push, he said: "When I suffered my injury the thought of a cure was a distant hope and progress has been slow.

"Currently, however, a number of treatments are on the verge of moving from the laboratory to clinical trials."

He believes that research into spinal cord injuries is not a priority for governments or large medical companies, leaving charities to fill the gap.

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