"After they fitted the halo I could function but it was difficult," she says. "I couldn't shower, I couldn't sleep lying down, I couldn't drive - I was just totally immobile."
The accident happened when Lafontaine's glider was caught in turbulent wind as she was coming in to land.
"The last 20 feet I came down like a rock. I had no time to control the hang glider. When I woke up I remember having my face in the dirt."
Lafontaine passed out - she thinks it was only for a minute or so. When she awoke, she was able to call her husband in Christchurch, who told her to hang up immediately and call for an ambulance.
"I was in a lot of pain and it was difficult to move. But the serious pain - where you think, 'I'm in trouble' - didn't kick in for 15 to 20 minutes.
"By the time the ambulance turned up I was a bit of a mess. I could barely move and my breathing was difficult and my neck was swollen."
Lafontaine says she was in shock as she rode to the hospital and was told she had broken her neck.
"It just seemed unreal at the time, but they did tell me that my spinal cord didn't seem to be affected. I could still feel my legs and move my feet."
That came as an enormous relief. While doctors told Lafontaine she would make a full recovery, she says she has only about 30 degrees of movement in her neck either way.
She decided swimming would be an ideal sport to assist her rehabilitation and get her active again.
"It's something I like doing," she says. "I can't mountain bike, running is difficult because of the bouncing, even road cycling is hard on the neck.
"There's a huge list of activities I can't do. I'm lucky to be able to swim."
She has adapted her technique so she rotates her shoulder more to compensate for the limited movement in her neck. It's a good strategy, but it comes with some difficulties.
"Finger's crossed it's going to be good weather on the day, because if it's choppy I'm going to be swallowing a lot of water," she laughs.
The organiser of the La Grande and the Ocean Swim Series, Scott Rice, says Lafontaine's story of recovery is inspirational.
"It's so great to see individuals like Brigitte recover from such significant injuries and set themselves goals. I look forward to cheering her across the finish line."
La Grande swim, Ocean Swim Series
• Where: Akaroa Harbour
• When: February 15.
• What: The fourth of six ocean swims in the series.
• Options: Competitors can race the 300m, 1000m, or 2.8km course.
• Children can compete in a 200m State Ocean Kids event.
• For more information, click here
