Queenstown crash survivor Nicola Collins walks half-marathon to inspire others

Two decades have passed since a paragliding accident in Queenstown changed Nicola Collins’ life forever.

But now she’s returning to the adventure capital, this time to conquer a half-marathon and raise money for the New Zealand Spinal Trust.

At just 12 years old, Collins was preparing for a paragliding adventure alongside her dad and sister at Bob’s Peak in Queenstown.

Nicola Collins and her young family. Photo / Supplied

But what should have been a thrill quickly turned to terror when her instructor got distracted during her harness check.

“The instructor ... got distracted by a cell phone call when we were up on the peak, and came back and didn’t do up my harness,” Collins said.

“So, we took off and I started slipping immediately, and he tried to put his knees under [me] to hold me up and tried to circle back around to stop me from falling.”

Collins is raising funds for the New Zealand Spinal Trust. Photo / Supplied

But instead, Collins slipped from her harness and plummeted 21m to the ground, leaving her with a broken spine, pelvis and a severed spinal cord.

Then began a lengthy recovery journey, which involved multiple surgeries, physiotherapy and learning to walk again.

“You just try to adapt to life,” Collins said.

Now Collins, 36, is set to conquer the 21km course at the New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty Queenstown Marathon event on November 15 with a $10,000 fundraising goal for the trust, which helps people with spinal cord impairments and their families.

Collins said a pivotal moment, and the motivation for doing this fundraiser came after a surgery to fuse her right ankle at a 90-degree angle after years of challenging joint displacement.

“It’s just absolutely improved everything so much,” Collins said.

“I mean, that got me out, you know, walking and stuff a lot, which I hadn’t done before because it was so painful.

“I mean, obviously, I still was, you know, active, and I was working in hospitality and stuff like that, but I wasn’t sort of, you know, doing any kind of walking.

“Just through that and then having kids as well spurred me on to start looking after my health.

“I just became really motivated to get out there and get walking.”

Last year, Collins walked the marathon’s 10km event as a test of her fitness and felt emotional crossing the finish line.

“I just love to walk everywhere now, like any opportunity I have, I just think it’s something that I’d never take for granted for sure,” she said.

This year’s half-marathon will push her once again, and she’s even recruited friends to walk alongside her and set a $10,000 fundraising goal.

Collins walked 10km at the 2024 Queenstown Marathon event. Photo / Supplied

It’s not the first time Collins has fundraised while also completing her own personal goals.

“There’s one that I do every year called Sweet with Pride, which raises money for Rainbow Youth,” she said.

“Even just personal challenges and stuff like that – because I think, well, if I’m walking anywhere, I might as well raise some money.

“It’s about my own personal goals, I guess, more than anything, and my own journey.

“There’s something really poetic about the fact that it’s in Queenstown and the finish line is on the field where the paragliders used to land.

“I just think, why not, you know, if I can share my story and raise some money and stuff, then it’s worth it.

“Putting myself out there and being vulnerable, that helps you connect to people as well.”

Collins said she hopes her own personal goals sparked other people to set their own.

“I would like to think that I inspire people - not for me but for them.”

Queenstown Marathon offers 42km, 21km, 10km and shorter children’s run events set between the Crown and Remarkables mountain ranges and takes in the highlights of the Queenstown Lakes region.