On The Up: Amputee raising money by walking 42km in a single day

Tyler Cashmore, an above-knee amputee, is based in Tauranga and will be walking 42km in one day to raise money for the Heart Foundation. Photo / Supplied

Tyler Cashmore, an above-knee amputee based in Tauranga, will walk 42 kilometres in one day.

Despite his “one-leggedness”, he has made it his mission to complete the 10 hours of straight walking, “a feat for any person, let alone a disabled one”, Cashmore said.

He became an amputee in 2018 at the age of 18 after being involved in a car accident, which led to his entire lower leg being amputated.

He said it was initially a challenge adapting to a wheelchair, then having to relearn how to walk.

“It introduced a bunch of minor inconveniences, like only going upstairs one step at a time, for example, and walking long distances.

“It takes above-knee amputees anywhere from 40-70% more energy to walk the same distance.”

Cashmore said during his recovery and adjustment period, he “kept a positive mindset”.

“This resulted in me being able to excel with prosthetics very quickly compared to the average person.

“I am always going to be thankful I never let it get the best of me,” he said.

Cashmore is participating in the Heart Foundation’s MyMarathon initiative and will be walking from the southernmost point in Tauranga to the base of Mauao, then to the end of Papamoa.

MyMarathon challenged participants to walk or run 42km during May to raise funds for heart research and to help save lives.

He hoped his walk inspired others who struggled with their mobility to push themselves.

“A lot of people, especially amputees, fall into despair when it comes to their mobility and give up when they are capable of so much more than they realise.

Tyler with his son and prosthetist Francis Bingham (right). Photo / Supplied

“For a long while, I couldn’t even manage a walk to the dairy around the corner, now I’m doing quite well.”

Having never done anything like this before, in preparation Cashmore had been swapping his usual strength and bodybuilding training for cardio until he felt he was at an acceptable level.

He said there was no mental preparation, just a “strong will and can-do attitude”.

“Anybody can make a difference, and to all my new amputees that may be struggling with their recovery, be patient, keep trying and never give up, you will get to where you want to be.

“I just hope that I can inspire other people to make a sacrifice to do some good in the world.”

Cashmore will finish his walk mid-May and hoped to get as much support as possible.

“I reached out to Ottobock, the company that makes my prosthetic leg I currently use, and they are going to help me get my message out.

“If I’m lucky, I will be able to use their new top-of-the-line microprocessor knee for the duration of the walk, which would make my journey much easier.”

Ottobock will be sponsoring Cashmore’s mission, and any additional support can be given via the MyMarathon website by searching his name.

His advice to others facing adversity or considering taking on a challenge is to “give it your best shot”.

“Test your limits, push yourself, don’t let a mental obstacle stop you from achieving your goals,” he said.

“Worst case, you will find out what you are capable of.”

Kaitlyn Morrell is a multimedia journalist for the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post. She has lived in the region for several years and studied journalism at Massey University.