Snow sports instructor Nikki McKilliam is preparing to take on the 100-mile Alpine Climb in celebration of a decade since a life-altering stroke.
Originally from Brisbane, a then 23-year-old Nikki spent her winters as a snow sports instructor in Falls Creek, located in Victoria's Alpine region. She then lived the dream of traveling the world, chasing winters in various countries, which eventually took her to the alpine regions of Germany.
However, Nikki's vibrant, active life took a sudden turn when she suffered an ischemic stroke - an extremely rare spinal stroke - while abroad.
The symptoms weren't immediately clear, and it took over 32 hours for German doctors to diagnose her condition.
"At first, my physio thought it was a slipped disc. But when the symptoms became more severe, they recognised something more serious was at play and rushed me to the neurologist," Nikki recalls.
Stroke Foundation's CEO, Dr Lisa Murphy says "Around 46,000 Australians experienced a stroke in 2023, and evidence shows that while the overall incidence of stroke has been declining, stroke incidence rates in young people and those of working age have been increasing over time. It is vitally important that both patients and health professionals are aware of this. In 2023, 1 in 4 strokes occurred in Australians under the age of 65 years."
As a healthy and fit 23-year-old, a stroke wasn't considered a likely diagnosis. However, after her first CT scan, the stroke was evident, and she was promptly transferred to the stroke ward.
"I lost function on my entire left side. I felt like a pin cushion, having blood thinners injected into me three times a day for nine days to clear the clot. Then the real challenge began. I had to remap the wires from my brain to my muscles so they could move again."
In the weeks that followed, Nikki taught herself how to walk, bend her leg, and even stand on tiptoes - all by observing how her right leg functioned and mimicking the movements with her left.
Incredibly, just six weeks after the stroke, Nikki completed a 10km run.
"It was slow, and I had a limp, but I did it. Once I proved to myself I could run again, nothing could stop me."
Since then, Nikki has incorporated strength training into her routine, a concept new to her but one that has been vital for improving her body awareness and recovery.
Today, Nikki is the picture of resilience. To mark her 10-year anniversary of recovery, she's taking on the Running Wild Alpine Challenge - a 100-mile run which is considered as one of the toughest and most spectacular mountain trail runs in the Southern Hemisphere.
"My willpower and belief in myself have been the most powerful tools in my recovery. It wasn't easy, but I choose how I view and work with my new reality. The challenge is tough, but no matter the adversity, I will never stop fighting to reclaim what makes me, me."
Stroke Foundation's StrokeLine and Enable Me website provides support and information to survivors of stroke, their families and carers about the post stroke recovery journey, you can reach out via www.strokefoundation.org.au or by calling 1800 787 653.
