Austin Cullen, taking part in the North West 10K.
By Diarmaid Doherty
IT was shortly after passing the 5k mark during Sunday’s North West 10k road race that Austin Cullen began to think that he might not be able to continue.
He was feeling pain in his bad leg and when he removed his prosthetic leg, he could see that the bottom of his stump had developed a bad sore.
“I probably should have stopped there and then,” he said. “But I suppose a bit of stubbornness kicked in.
“It was tough going, I’m not going to say it wasn’t.
“I was wrecked towards the end but close to the finish, I heard Pat Crampsie calling out my name and encouraging me along.
“Sometimes it’s the wee things like that which can make all the difference.”
It’s six years since Austin underwent surgery in Dublin’s Cappagh Hospital to have his left leg amputated.
The following day, as he lay in recovery in the hospital ward, Austin’s mother Josephine passed away back home in Donegal.
It was an extremely trying time, and looking back Austin remembers the medical team agreeing to let him out of hospital to attend his mother’s wake and funeral.
It was an early indication that his surgery had gone well. So well in fact, that six years later, he hasn’t needed any follow up appointment with the consultant who carried out the operation.
“I feel good now,” he said.
“Having my leg amputated was the best decision I’ve ever made.”
When he describes the pain and discomfort that he had to endure in the years leading up to his operation, you can understand why Austin now feels the way he does.
A series of bad injuries while playing football took their toll in later life and after undergoing a hip-replacement, the attention then turned to his troublesome left leg.
He underwent different surgeries and at one stage doctors decided to break his leg and his foot in the hope that by pinning them back together it would solve the problem.
The pain however, didn’t go away and Austin, still in a state of much discomfort, was left relying on heavy doses of morphine just to get by.
“I had started reading up on amputations and I quickly realised that it was probably the only way to go for me,” he said.
“So when it came down to it and the surgeon first raised it, I was ready. He told me I was a prime candidate. I just wanted to get on with my life and to start living again.”
The surgery was a big success and the after-care was just as good.
“Some of the team actually asked me if I would have a chat with other people who were considering similar surgery,” Austin said.
“I was getting calls from people who might have been in a car accident or whatever and I was able to tell them my story and tell them how the amputation had changed my life for the better.
“It’s just one of those things. I get up in the morning and I put on my leg – like everyone else puts on their shoes.”
Now aged 58, Austin likes to keep in good shape and says he needs to keep active so that his back and muscles stay strong.
He attends the gym at the Donegal Physiotherapy and Performance Centre where his coach Declan Gallagher has been so encouraging and helpful.
Austin took part in a parkrun 5k earlier in the year but it was Declan who suggested he could take on the challenge of the recent Try a Tri event organised by Letterkenny 24/7 Triathlon Club.
A brief conversation with one of the event organisers Karol Harvey convinced Austin that he could give it a go and six weeks out from the event, the training began.
“It was absolutely brilliant, I couldn’t recommend it enough,” Austin said.
“Karol was brilliant and on the day itself, everyone was so encouraging. You could be going out the road on the bike and meeting others coming the other way and they’d be pushing you on. It was class.”
A former painter and decorator, Austin is married to Josie and they have two children, Claire and Graham and four grandchildren, Rían, Riley, Reece and Arlo.
Austin and Josie’s daughter Karen passed away in November 2014 after a life-long battle with illness. She was 28.
The Try a Tri involved a 200m swim, 17k bike ride and 3.2k run.
Last Monday’s 10k run was a very different challenge, and Austin was glad to get home. His time of 1 hour 11 minutes was pretty good going – especially given his troubles at the half-way point.
“Sometimes you just get the strength from somewhere to keep going,” Austin said.
Austin Cullen, Letterkenny following his inspirational run at the annual North West 10K on Monday last.
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