NZ Herald
  • Home
  • Latest news
  • Herald NOW
  • Video
  • New Zealand
  • Sport
  • World
  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Podcasts
  • Quizzes
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Travel
  • Viva
  • Weather

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • New Zealand
    • All New Zealand
    • Crime
    • Politics
    • Education
    • Open Justice
    • Scam Update
  • Herald NOW
  • On The Up
  • World
    • All World
    • Australia
    • Asia
    • UK
    • United States
    • Middle East
    • Europe
    • Pacific
  • Business
    • All Business
    • MarketsSharesCurrencyCommoditiesStock TakesCrypto
    • Markets with Madison
    • Media Insider
    • Business analysis
    • Personal financeKiwiSaverInterest ratesTaxInvestment
    • EconomyInflationGDPOfficial cash rateEmployment
    • Small business
    • Business reportsMood of the BoardroomProject AucklandSustainable business and financeCapital markets reportAgribusiness reportInfrastructure reportDynamic business
    • Deloitte Top 200 Awards
    • CompaniesAged CareAgribusinessAirlinesBanking and financeConstructionEnergyFreight and logisticsHealthcareManufacturingMedia and MarketingRetailTelecommunicationsTourism
  • Opinion
    • All Opinion
    • Analysis
    • Editorials
    • Business analysis
    • Premium opinion
    • Letters to the editor
  • Politics
  • Sport
    • All Sport
    • OlympicsParalympics
    • RugbySuper RugbyNPCAll BlacksBlack FernsRugby sevensSchool rugby
    • CricketBlack CapsWhite Ferns
    • Racing
    • NetballSilver Ferns
    • LeagueWarriorsNRL
    • FootballWellington PhoenixAuckland FCAll WhitesFootball FernsEnglish Premier League
    • GolfNZ Open
    • MotorsportFormula 1
    • Boxing
    • UFC
    • BasketballNBABreakersTall BlacksTall Ferns
    • Tennis
    • Cycling
    • Athletics
    • SailingAmerica's CupSailGP
    • Rowing
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Viva - Food, fashion & beauty
    • Society Insider
    • Royals
    • Sex & relationships
    • Food & drinkRecipesRecipe collectionsRestaurant reviewsRestaurant bookings
    • Health & wellbeing
    • Fashion & beauty
    • Pets & animals
    • The Selection - Shop the trendsShop fashionShop beautyShop entertainmentShop giftsShop home & living
    • Milford's Investing Place
  • Entertainment
    • All Entertainment
    • TV
    • MoviesMovie reviews
    • MusicMusic reviews
    • BooksBook reviews
    • Culture
    • ReviewsBook reviewsMovie reviewsMusic reviewsRestaurant reviews
  • Travel
    • All Travel
    • News
    • New ZealandNorthlandAucklandWellingtonCanterburyOtago / QueenstownNelson-TasmanBest NZ beaches
    • International travelAustraliaPacific IslandsEuropeUKUSAAfricaAsia
    • Rail holidays
    • Cruise holidays
    • Ski holidays
    • Luxury travel
    • Adventure travel
  • Kāhu Māori news
  • Environment
    • All Environment
    • Our Green Future
  • Talanoa Pacific news
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Property Insider
    • Interest rates tracker
    • Residential property listings
    • Commercial property listings
  • Health
  • Technology
    • All Technology
    • AI
    • Social media
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
    • Opinion
    • Audio & podcasts
  • Weather forecasts
    • All Weather forecasts
    • Kaitaia
    • Whangārei
    • Dargaville
    • Auckland
    • Thames
    • Tauranga
    • Hamilton
    • Whakatāne
    • Rotorua
    • Tokoroa
    • Te Kuiti
    • Taumaranui
    • Taupō
    • Gisborne
    • New Plymouth
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Dannevirke
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Levin
    • Paraparaumu
    • Masterton
    • Wellington
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Blenheim
    • Westport
    • Reefton
    • Kaikōura
    • Greymouth
    • Hokitika
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
    • Wānaka
    • Oamaru
    • Queenstown
    • Dunedin
    • Gore
    • Invercargill
  • Meet the journalists
  • Promotions & competitions
  • OneRoof property listings
  • Driven car news

Puzzles & Quizzes

  • Puzzles
    • All Puzzles
    • Sudoku
    • Code Cracker
    • Crosswords
    • Cryptic crossword
    • Wordsearch
  • Quizzes
    • All Quizzes
    • Morning quiz
    • Afternoon quiz
    • Sports quiz

Regions

  • Northland
    • All Northland
    • Far North
    • Kaitaia
    • Kerikeri
    • Kaikohe
    • Bay of Islands
    • Whangarei
    • Dargaville
    • Kaipara
    • Mangawhai
  • Auckland
  • Waikato
    • All Waikato
    • Hamilton
    • Coromandel & Hauraki
    • Matamata & Piako
    • Cambridge
    • Te Awamutu
    • Tokoroa & South Waikato
    • Taupō & Tūrangi
  • Bay of Plenty
    • All Bay of Plenty
    • Katikati
    • Tauranga
    • Mount Maunganui
    • Pāpāmoa
    • Te Puke
    • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Hawke's Bay
    • All Hawke's Bay
    • Napier
    • Hastings
    • Havelock North
    • Central Hawke's Bay
    • Wairoa
  • Taranaki
    • All Taranaki
    • Stratford
    • New Plymouth
    • Hāwera
  • Manawatū - Whanganui
    • All Manawatū - Whanganui
    • Whanganui
    • Palmerston North
    • Manawatū
    • Tararua
    • Horowhenua
  • Wellington
    • All Wellington
    • Kapiti
    • Wairarapa
    • Upper Hutt
    • Lower Hutt
  • Nelson & Tasman
    • All Nelson & Tasman
    • Motueka
    • Nelson
    • Tasman
  • Marlborough
  • West Coast
  • Canterbury
    • All Canterbury
    • Kaikōura
    • Christchurch
    • Ashburton
    • Timaru
  • Otago
    • All Otago
    • Oamaru
    • Dunedin
    • Balclutha
    • Alexandra
    • Queenstown
    • Wanaka
  • Southland
    • All Southland
    • Invercargill
    • Gore
    • Stewart Island
  • Gisborne

Media

  • Video
    • All Video
    • NZ news video
    • Herald NOW
    • Business news video
    • Politics news video
    • Sport video
    • World news video
    • Lifestyle video
    • Entertainment video
    • Travel video
    • Markets with Madison
    • Kea Kids news
  • Podcasts
    • All Podcasts
    • The Front Page
    • On the Tiles
    • Ask me Anything
    • The Little Things
  • Cartoons
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Premium
Home / New Zealand

Son's crash recovery inspires Hawke's Bay man's fundraising cycle ride of NZ

By Shannon Johnstone
Hawkes Bay Today·
28 Feb, 2020 03:08 AM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Wayne Kirk begins his journey from Cape Reinga to Bluff on March 4. Photo / Warren Buckland

Wayne Kirk begins his journey from Cape Reinga to Bluff on March 4. Photo / Warren Buckland

Wayne Kirk has cycled all his life.

But it was his son Sam Kirk's car accident in September 2018 that inspired him to cycle the length of New Zealand to raise funds for the trust that had helped his son recover.

In the crash, Sam broke a disk in his back, his pelvis, two vertebrae in his neck and dislocated a vertebra, which cut blood supply to his spinal column.

Sam spent almost three months at Burwood Spinal Unit in Canterbury which the New Zealand Spinal Trust has worked closely with.

Wayne, from Napier, said the journey of Sam's recovery was something he, his family, friends and colleagues would never forget.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"It was a journey of incredible stress, but at the same time [it was] amazing to be able to tick off the many milestones that saw Sam return to walk again," he said.

Wayne hopes to raise at least $20,000 for the trust. He's at $8390 before he's even started.

Sam's first attempt at elbow crutches at the Burwood Spinal Unit. Photo / Supplied
Sam's first attempt at elbow crutches at the Burwood Spinal Unit. Photo / Supplied

Sam said his recovery was rapid, which kept him motivated to get better.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"Every day there was a gain to my health," he said.

Wayne said the long recovery was kept on track by a "light at the end of the tunnel".

Discover more

New Zealand

The secret: Napier couple married 75 years like to 'grizzle', but refuse to go to bed angry

01 Mar 05:00 PM
New Zealand

The incredible reconstruction of the Hawke's Bay Opera House

28 Feb 12:14 AM
New Zealand

Underweight puppies found by Hawke's Bay's Mohaka River

28 Feb 01:34 AM

"As Sam made progress each day, we realised how lucky we were.

"There were other families there and young adults – people the same age and younger than Sam – who were not so lucky. It was a stark reminder of what might have been for us," he said.

Sam progressed quickly from a wheelchair, to a walker, to two crutches, to one crutch and was then able to walk unaided.

"Some days were better than others. Some days, the thought of leaving Burwood Spinal Unit seemed so far into the future it wouldn't happen," Wayne said.

Wayne Kirk, left, and Sam Kirk pictured after leaving Burwood Spinal Unit. Photo / Supplied
Wayne Kirk, left, and Sam Kirk pictured after leaving Burwood Spinal Unit. Photo / Supplied

Sam left Burwood just before Christmas, 2018, and returned to work at the family company in January 2019.

The ride must be done in no less than 10 days and no more than 30. Wayne said he was aiming for anything less than 30, but "27 I'd be happy with".

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Sam is proud of his dad for taking on the challenge.

"It's pretty phenomenal, it's a big ask, riding the whole length of the country.

"I can't thank him enough.

"The money goes straight to them [NZ Spinal Trust]. The more money they get you never know it may give someone a chance to live a normal life again like I had," Sam said.

The NZ Spinal Trust is an organisation Wayne feels helps many.

"Their help and support to families and people with spinal injuries is amazing, which is why I'm hoping to raise a substantial sum of money for them along my tour of Aotearoa," he said.

Wayne leaves for his journey on Saturday and will begin cycling on March 4 with a couple of his friends.

He has only recently converted to mountain biking, which will be his only mode of transport during the trip.

• Donations for Wayne's journey can be made at https://nzspinaltrust.org.nz/campaigns/wayne-kirks-tour-of-aotearoa/.

The NZ Spinal Trust

• The NZ Spinal Trust was established in 1994 and provides support to those with Spinal Cord Impairment (SCI).

• It works with the Burwood Spinal Unit and the Auckland Spinal Rehabilitation Unit.

• The trust operates peer and whānau support, a vocational rehabilitation service and a resource centre to help those with SCI.

• About 80 per cent of its funding comes from fundraising.

Save

    Share this article

    Reminder, this is a Premium article and requires a subscription to read.

Latest from New Zealand

World

Syrian forces accused of ‘executions’ in Druze area as Israel launches strikes

Watch
New Zealand
|Updated

'Mind-blowing': Chef's two-ingredient meringue breakthrough

Premium
New Zealand

'Hiding from the council': Rotorua's secret pod shelter for homeless


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from New Zealand

Syrian forces accused of ‘executions’ in Druze area as Israel launches strikes
World

Syrian forces accused of ‘executions’ in Druze area as Israel launches strikes

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said that Syrian government forces and their allies had executed 19 people in and around Sweida. Video / NZ Herald

Watch
15 Jul 09:45 PM
'Mind-blowing': Chef's two-ingredient meringue breakthrough
New Zealand
|Updated

'Mind-blowing': Chef's two-ingredient meringue breakthrough

15 Jul 09:44 PM
Premium
Premium
'Hiding from the council': Rotorua's secret pod shelter for homeless
New Zealand

'Hiding from the council': Rotorua's secret pod shelter for homeless

15 Jul 09:44 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP