A dentist who suffered horrific injuries in a triathlon accident is already planing a return to racing — even though he has only just started eating through a straw .
Chris Barrowman from Pitlochry split his helmet in half after landing face-first during a race in Aviemore.
Now he has recovered enough to open a new branch of his dental firm and is gearing up to get back in the saddle.
The 38-year-old’s life was turned upside down in August.
The fitness fanatic and father of three was almost two thirds of the way through an off-road section of the event, when he came off his bike in spectacular fashion, being knocked unconscious as he hit the ground.
Staff at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness reset his nose, stitched his lower lip into place and mended his tongue, which had split in two. He also had a cut running from nose to chin and had damaged his front teeth, requiring significant reconstruction.
Only now is he beginning to eat and drink properly, though with difficulty due to loss of sensation in the right side of his mouth.
He said: “Obviously, personally, it has been a difficult time since August but the biggest thing I have felt is how lucky I am and realise how much support I have from those around me. It’s unfortunate it takes something like this to make us aware of that.
“I managed to drink through a straw for the first time only recently, and I hope, over time, to regain the feeling in my mouth or at least get a portion of it back.
“You obviously have to make adjustments, but it is a small price to pay for not breaking my neck or back. You never know what’s around the corner.
“Without a helmet, that would have been it, so I am just very thankful and realise how lucky I actually have been.”
Chris now plans to compete in the half distance Ironman in Mallorca in May, breaking the vow to give up that he made as he lay awaiting hospital scans.
He said: “I’ve always been of the view that you shouldn’t let things in life stop you achieving your goals. You’ve got to pick yourself back up, push on and keep trying. I took a month or so off training after the accident but I am now back fully in the build-up of my training and hope the hard work pays off this race season.”
