The Carolyn Jones Trust Fund was set up in 2001 with the aim of raising funds for the long term care and rehabilitation of Carolyn, who was seriously injured whilst competing in the World Adventure Racing Championships in Switzerland in September of that year.
Carolyn was trapped underwater during the event and had to be airlifted from the scene. She was then in a coma for several weeks, during which time she was transferred from Switzerland to Edinburgh. She is now out of a coma but is restricted to a wheelchair and has suffered brain damage caused by the lack of oxygen to the brain while she was trapped, which has affected her ability to talk and eat. She has been receiving several forms of treatment but it is clear that she will require long term care and is unlikely to be able to return home.
At the moment her parents are looking to purchase a wheelchair adapted vehicle which will enable them to take Carolyn out more frequently and easily than is currently the case and funds raised for the Trust will contribute towards this and other ideas to improve the quality of Carolyn’s life. At the moment Carolyn is also receiving regular music therapy, which is being paid for by the Trust Fund.
Carolyn is an only child and was brought up in Edinburgh. She has the distinction of having studied at both Oxford and Cambridge universities. She loved to travel and met Kevin Sharp and Julie Pringle, two of the cyclists in Australia in 1990. She was also very active and was an international class rower. At the time of her accident she lived in Wallingford in Oxfordshire and had been a very active member of the rowing club there.
After the World adventure racing Championships in 2001, Carolyn was due to join a group of cycling friends on holiday in Latvia for a week. The cycling group is known as ‘The Slipstreamers’. Last year 5 of this group cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats to raise funds for the Trust Fund. The challenge for 2003 is to cycle from London to Edinburgh and a team of 10 of the cyclists will be attempting this challenge between 17 – 25 May, a total distance of at least 450 miles or around 50 miles per day on average.
Follow our progress at www.slipstreamers.info where we hope to post regular updates during the ride.