Teacher paralysed after crashing during mountain bike race
A schoolteacher has been left paralysed after a serious fall during a mountain bike race.
John Blunden, who teaches at Siena Catholic College on the Sunshine Coast, was competing in the Enduro race in Kybong, in Queensland’s Gympie region, on Sunday when he crashed.
A GoFundMe page set up for the father said he sustained severe injuries including a punctured lung, 10 broken ribs, a cracked sternum, a cracked vertebra in his cervical spine and three shattered vertebrae in his thoracic spine.
“As a result of the injury to his thoracic spine, he has no feeling or function from the waste down,” the GoFundMe page said.
“John was operated on and surgeons removed all bone fragments from around the spine and inserted metal rods from T4 – T9 in his spine.”
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Mr Blunden is recovering from his injuries in ICU.
The GoFundMe page is hoping to raise $200,000 to help Mr Blunden, his wife Carolyn, his 12-year-old son and eight-year-old daughter.
His wife will have to travel to and from Brisbane to be with Mr Blunden during his recovery.
Almost $20,000 has already been raised for the family.
