Just weeks from his fourth birthday on New Year's eve, Whangārei's Luke Clements suffered an injury which could have ended all hope in pursing a career in running.
As a young boy, Luke and his father David would mow the lawns together, sitting on their ride-on lawnmower. One morning, Lukewent to join his father just as David reversed over his son's foot.
The blades of the mower cut into Luke's foot to the extent where they could see bone. It took eight years of surgeries and skin grafts to get back to full health but for Luke, this was the spark he needed.
"The lawnmower incident definitely made me so more motivated to succeed and prove to myself that anything is possible, you just have to put your mind to it," he said.
As a Year 5 pupil at Maunu Primary School, Luke went through his final surgery, which took six hours and left him in a wheelchair. Fast forward to 2018, he won the national road race in the under-15 grade, Mount Albert Grammar School's top sportsman award and has recently been selected to compete in next year's World Schools Orienteering championships in Estonia.
"Being in that wheelchair, it felt like a big barrier that I had to overcome to be a better person."
One week after he was able to walk for himself, Luke came third in the Whangārei zone cross-country race, beating another runner he had lost to in his school's cross-country race not long before.
He went on to Kamo Intermediate where he would claim the best sportsman award in his final year at the school.
"I was shaking all the night before the prizegiving as I really want to cap off my intermediate years with a good reward to tell me that all of the trainings were worth it."
Luke will be a Year 11 student at Mt Albert Grammar School next year where he hoped to improve his running as well as pursue other interests like hockey and orienteering.
Luke's running ability is complemented by his proficiency in hockey and orienteering. Photo / Supplied
"With intermediate over, I began looking at high schools in Auckland because I believed down there, I would be able to better myself and improve on my running and sport, which I have so far."
He said moving to a new place was a difficult choice for him but after winning this year's junior sportsman award at the school, he knew it was the right call.
"At the end of the year, I reflected on how far I have come and couldn't wait for what was yet to come and after that award I knew coming down to Auckland was the right decision."
Luke trained at least six days a week which usually consisted of long runs and track sessions with intervals. His goal was to compete for New Zealand on the world stage.
Luke's mother Sharlene said it was a big decision for the family to send their son away to the big city.
"He came and told us that he wanted to go to Auckland to go to school and further his running.
"We were very nervous about the move as he has amazing friends and supporters here but Luke is always trying to be better and he just always wants to be the best he can be."
Sharlene said she was proud of all her son had achieved after he started with such a horrible injury.
