Paralysed Wiltshire woman to take part in London Marathon

A woman left paralysed after falling down the stairs in a freak accident is taking part in the London Marathon.

Didi Diaris, from Marlborough, hopes to raise £25,000 for the spinal unit at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, where she spent a year recovering.

Friends who ran with her in the New York marathon before her accident will this time be pushing her round the 26 mile (42km) course.

"I have a very cool running chair my friends bought for me," she said.

"When I was in ICU, they said to me, 'don't you think we're not going to do marathons together anymore', so they're coming and pushing me in London."

Ms Diaris is one of 10 assisted wheelchair entrants.

"I get really emotional about it," she said.

"It is fantastic that the chair is lightweight, so we're hoping to do a really good time."

Before her accident in 2020, Ms Diaris, 49, was very active, not only running the New York marathon two years earlier, but as a professional horse rider, coach and trainer.

She said she always thought she would break her neck jumping on a horse, but instead she fell down the stairs after a dizzy spell, leaving her paralysed from the neck down, fully ventilated and unable to talk or eat.

"The way my accident happened was very stupid. In a second everything changed," she said.

"It was really, really hard, but because of the fantastic team [at Stoke Mandeville], who gave me the tools I needed, I realised that it was possible to go back to living a full life."

About 40,000 athletes will be taking part in the London Marathon on 21 April.

Follow BBC Wiltshire on Facebook, X and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.