Justin Jeffery, joined me for two weeks each, to become familiar with the exercise program I planned to continue upon my return to South Africa.' 'When I came home, I was able to resume a more "normal" life again and began to play a much greater role in the family engineering business, an opportunity I embraced unreservedly. In May of 2009, Lesley who today is my wife, came into my life again – we had met through a mutual friend 10 years earlier. On route to visit her sister in the UK for three weeks, I was incentivised and determined to learn how to drive again while she was away. It would be the first time I had been behind the wheel since my hijacking five years prior. By the time Lesley returned, I was driving again on my own; another giant milestone in regaining my independence. In that same year I proposed to her: we were engaged in December and married in September the following year. 'My next life challenge was starting a family. We approached a fertility clinic to investigate our chances and the initial prognosis was not at all positive. There was little or no hope that I would be able to father my own child. Again I was not prepared to accept this prognosis
and after a year of a reflexology, Lesley fell pregnant.' Justin's positive can-do attitude has seen him through the worst of times and has also given him some positive life rewards. Determined to achieve whatever he sets his mind to, this is his self-fulfilling approach to life: 'Expect the unexpected.' With the opening of his foundation Just Walk Bionics in Rivonia, Justin has finally reached his goal to set up a centre/foundation to help South Africans find appropriate treatment. His journey to walk again hasn't been without its stresses, frustrations, blood, sweat and tears, but he is using his experiences and the knowledge he has gained to make the journey of those in similar circumstances a little easier. An inspiration to anyone coping with diversity, Justin's journey shows the good that can come from a terrible experience if you have the drive and desire to overcome.
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During Justin's time at Project Walk, he set up a website and blogged about his progress. For more info visit www.justinsmith.co.za. See ad below.
Intelligently powered, the Ekso™ is a bionic exoskeleton which enables people with spi nal cord injuries, lower limb weakness or paralysis to stand up and walk. The Ekso is a clinical rehabilitation tool only available in South Africa at Just Walk Bionics.
Contact us to find out if you are a candidate for the Ekso.
Tel: +27 (0) 71 462 6643
Ground Floor, Finch House, Rivonia Gardens, 33 Wessel Road, Rivonia, Sandton Gauteng E-mail: [email protected]
www.justwalkbionics.co.za
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