Catriona Williams’ world changed after a competitive horse-riding accident in 2002 left her a tetraplegic. Unable to walk or ride, Catriona founded The CatWalk Spinal Cord Injury Trust with the aim of funding research for a cure that she knows will be an eventual reality. CatWalk recently appointed a number of Ambassadors in different regions of the country to help achieve these goals and to spread awareness about spinal cord injury.
Ian Douglas, of the Village Goldsmith, is proud to be the Wellington Ambassador for the CatWalk Trust. At the age of 19 a collision on a motorcycle left Ian with multiple fractures in the vertebrae of his neck. It was sheer good fortune that spared Ian from tetraplegia or even death. He was fortunate that the first person at the scene of his accident was a nurse who knew that to move his body could have made a fatal difference.
Years later, Ian’s successful Wellington store The Village Goldsmith is the premier retailer of fine designer jewellery in the country. This year Ian has been invited to exhibit his designs in the exclusive Designer Avenue section of the Hong Kong Jewellery Expo - the largest exhibition of its kind in the world.
Prior to becoming an Ambassador, Ian supported The Catwalk Trust for a number of years, donating valuable, highly sought after items of jewellery for auction at CatWalk events. As an Ambassador for CatWalk, Ian looks forward to spreading the word on the possibilities of finding a cure and has, he hopes, some insight into just how easily one can suffer a spinal cord injury and have their world turned upside down overnight.
Every five days in New Zealand, one Kiwi will suffer a serious spinal cord injury. The CatWalk Trust is dedicated to finding a breakthrough. Catriona will realise a longstanding ambition when she takes part in this year’s New York Marathon on November 7th. You can follow her progress, read about the CatWalk Trust and support this worthy cause at www.catwalk.org.nz
