riffer
7th November 2005, 18:59
LOREN TIBBS loves the thrill of a fast motorbike ride, but she doesn’t remember the ride of her life - in a big red helicopter.
But she’s still thanking the people who gave it to her, and trying to help them in return.
“I wouldn’t be here without that ride. They do a great job.”
Loren almost died that day in August 2003 when she was knocked unconscious after a big fall from a broken rope swing in bush near her Stokes Valley home.
With life-threatening head injuries, Loren needed to be evacuated by rescuers immediately. But she was stuck down a 30 metre, steep, slippery slope.
The Westpac Rescue helicopter winched her out and rushed her to hospital, where her parents were told she might not make it.
But Loren came through, and two years later it’s hard to see any trace of her brain injury. Almost 12 now, Loren not only rides bikes, she participates in school sports, and recently took a flying fox ride - with a helmet.
Riding trail bikes comes naturally. Her grand-dad had farm bikes she rode, and her dad, Tim Tibbs owns British Spares motorcycle shop in Silverstream. Dad and Loren’s mom, Donna, are, quite naturally, not sure it’s such a good idea, but Loren’s still keen.
But Lore doesn’t venture onto rope swings. The one that broke was about decade old, in a perfect place, Loren said.
“I’m not over-cautious, but I do check things out first.”
She was keen to go back to the swing site, but her parents said no, she’d get her clothes muddy.
“But one day I was chasing my chicken,” Loren says.
Tim Tibbs interjects, “That’s your story, anyway!”
“I never caught the chicken,” says Loren.
“It’s still in the bush. But suddenly I was at the tree. It’s just a tree, I didn’t have any bad vibes. It’s a pretty good place for a swing, but we haven’t put it back.”
Loren thinks she might like to do something with space for a career, maybe be an astronaut.
“I like maths. Or maybe teaching sports.”
She says a lot of kids and motorcyclers owe their lives to the Westpac Rescue Helicopter. So she’s still raising money for the Life Flight Trust.
This Sunday Loren will be helping her dad run a motorcycle swap meet including the charity auctioning of a 1967 Triumph Daytona motor bike donated by Tim that he says will make a great restoration project for a bike fan.
The swap meet is at British Spares, 44 Kiln Street, Silverstream, from 7.30 a.m., admission $2 for public, and $10 for vendors. All proceeds from the swap meet will go to the Life Flight Trust in addition to the money raised by the Triumph auction.
There’ll be a display of bikes dating from a 1908 Triumph to a 2005 Kawasaki.
Tim says it’s a great opportunity to sell your neglected bike sitting in the back of the garage, and hopes to have a good turnout for the benefit of the Trust.
reposted with kind permission of the Upper Hutt Leader
But she’s still thanking the people who gave it to her, and trying to help them in return.
“I wouldn’t be here without that ride. They do a great job.”
Loren almost died that day in August 2003 when she was knocked unconscious after a big fall from a broken rope swing in bush near her Stokes Valley home.
With life-threatening head injuries, Loren needed to be evacuated by rescuers immediately. But she was stuck down a 30 metre, steep, slippery slope.
The Westpac Rescue helicopter winched her out and rushed her to hospital, where her parents were told she might not make it.
But Loren came through, and two years later it’s hard to see any trace of her brain injury. Almost 12 now, Loren not only rides bikes, she participates in school sports, and recently took a flying fox ride - with a helmet.
Riding trail bikes comes naturally. Her grand-dad had farm bikes she rode, and her dad, Tim Tibbs owns British Spares motorcycle shop in Silverstream. Dad and Loren’s mom, Donna, are, quite naturally, not sure it’s such a good idea, but Loren’s still keen.
But Lore doesn’t venture onto rope swings. The one that broke was about decade old, in a perfect place, Loren said.
“I’m not over-cautious, but I do check things out first.”
She was keen to go back to the swing site, but her parents said no, she’d get her clothes muddy.
“But one day I was chasing my chicken,” Loren says.
Tim Tibbs interjects, “That’s your story, anyway!”
“I never caught the chicken,” says Loren.
“It’s still in the bush. But suddenly I was at the tree. It’s just a tree, I didn’t have any bad vibes. It’s a pretty good place for a swing, but we haven’t put it back.”
Loren thinks she might like to do something with space for a career, maybe be an astronaut.
“I like maths. Or maybe teaching sports.”
She says a lot of kids and motorcyclers owe their lives to the Westpac Rescue Helicopter. So she’s still raising money for the Life Flight Trust.
This Sunday Loren will be helping her dad run a motorcycle swap meet including the charity auctioning of a 1967 Triumph Daytona motor bike donated by Tim that he says will make a great restoration project for a bike fan.
The swap meet is at British Spares, 44 Kiln Street, Silverstream, from 7.30 a.m., admission $2 for public, and $10 for vendors. All proceeds from the swap meet will go to the Life Flight Trust in addition to the money raised by the Triumph auction.
There’ll be a display of bikes dating from a 1908 Triumph to a 2005 Kawasaki.
Tim says it’s a great opportunity to sell your neglected bike sitting in the back of the garage, and hopes to have a good turnout for the benefit of the Trust.
reposted with kind permission of the Upper Hutt Leader