Sarah Whitchurch, 27 and from St Peter's Port, in Guernsey, has been named Achiever of the Year at the Headway Annual Awards ceremony held at The Dorchester Hotel in London, on Friday 5 December.
The awards ceremony, organised by Headway - the brain injury association, celebrates the inspirational achievements of survivors of brain injury and their carers in the face of adversity, as well as the outstanding contributions individuals have made to the charity.
Sarah was presented with her award by double Olympic gold medallist James Cracknell, who is Vice President of the charity.
Peter McCabe, Chief Executive of Headway, said: "To face - and overcome - the prospect of life-long disability as a result of brain injury at such a young age requires an extraordinary degree of courage and determination.
"Not only has Sarah refused to allow her limitations to defeat her, but she has achieved her goals with an optimism that commands the admiration of everyone she meets.
"Sarah is a shining example of the fact that there can be life after brain injury. She is an inspiration to others and truly deserves the title of Achiever of the Year."
Four days before Sarah's 11th birthday in 1997 she fell seriously ill with what turned out to be meningitis. Her survival hung in the balance and her parents, Jill and Hugh, feared the worst as they watched their daughter grow weaker.
On Christmas day, Sarah's condition took a turn for the worse, sending the hospital ward into a state of emergency and even pulling the hospital's brain specialist away from his Christmas dinner. The determined youngster clung to life, but she was left with a severe brain injury that caused short-term partial-paralysis across her entire body. Even today, Sarah still suffers from weakness in her limbs, making her achievements all the more incredible.
As part of her rehabilitation, Sarah re-discovered her love of swimming and used her passion for the sport as an incentive to improve her movement. Despite not being able to kick her legs and suffering with limited dexterity in her hands, she began competing and, incredibly, started winning local swimming competitions.
Today, Sarah lives in St Peter Port and campaigns for improvements to the lives of disabled people as a mentor and a member of Headway Guernsey.
Not content with her already extraordinary achievements, Sarah also pushed herself to complete one full national marathon and four half-marathons.
Perhaps her finest achievement to date came in August this year when she became the first disabled swimmer to battle the intense cold to complete the Guernsey to Herm race, which involves swimming 6k against strong tides in open water.
The Headway Annual Awards celebrate the exceptional efforts of survivors of brain injury and those caring for them. Other winners who joined Sarah on stage at The Dorchester Hotel included Terisha Burge, from Bath (Volunteer of the Year), Gwen and Natalie Milham, from Lewes (Carer of the Year), and Bill and Stella Jackaman, from West Sussex (The Stephen McAleese Outstanding Contribution to Headway Award).
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