From Antarctica to the Sahara Desert, There’s No Terrain on Earth That Duncan Slater Can’t Conquer. Dr. Victoria Sparkes FROM The Dipulse Team Spoke to the Man Himself
The diPulse team and 2124 are proud to be supporting a truly inspirational person in his extreme challenge later this month. Duncan Slater is about to tackle the Marathon des Sables for the third time, walking 250km over 6 days, with temperatures peaking at 50 degrees, all while carrying everything he needs for that time with him. An extremely tough challenge for anyone, but to Duncan, a military veteran who lost both lower legs in 2009, it’s literally a stroll in the park. We wanted to know the secret behind Duncan’s drive, inner strength, and motivation.
We all want to learn more about your story Duncan, can you tell us how your military career began?
I left school at 15 and qualified as a gamekeeper, but after a while, I realized I needed more of an adventure, so I applied to the forces, joining the RAF mostly because they could take me straight away. This was in 1998 before the 9/11 attacks. After 9/11 everything became much more active and I was deployed to Afghanistan practically overnight. For the next few years I was stationed between there and Iraq on active duty, becoming a sergeant in 2009. At that point, I was stationed in Afghanistan working for a newly created unit supporting the special forces and I was mentoring Afghan commandos. I really loved that part of the role and have a lot of respect for the whole team and the commandos I was working with.
You were really in the thick of it at the time - were you in Afghanistan when you were injured?
Yes – I was in a vehicle called a Jackal when it hit an improvised roadside bomb which destroyed the vehicle and exploded right beneath my seat.
Do you mind telling us a bit more about what happened and how your journey to recovery began?
The bomb exploded under the vehicle which threw me up in the air. There was a rifle to the side of me which penetrated my arm. So, I wound up with an open arm fracture, broken ribs, spine, and shoulder blade, and my feet took the worst of the impact and were significantly crushed. I was flown firstly to Camp Bastion for emergency medical aid then on to the UK in a CCAST aircraft which transports severe casualties back home. After that, I spent some time in ITU and around 5 months in the hospital.
So at this point, you were trying to walk with severely damaged feet?
Yes, although I wasn’t able to walk for more than a few steps. The damage was too severe and I was in a lot of pain which meant high doses of painkillers which I didn’t want. All the time I could see amputees with their prosthetics on practically running around the ward and I realized this would never be the case for me while my feet were in such a bad state because they were worsening all the time.
What was happening in your life outside of your rehab at this time?
I’d just married my fantastic wife Kim a few months before the injury. We were expecting our daughter at the time I was injured and so I missed out on a lot of the pre-birth things many fathers get to do. During the rehab phase, I was trying to get on my feet and learning to walk but the pain was too severe, and my range of movement was deteriorating. It was at this point I saw another specialist to see what could be done.
What was the outcome of that meeting?
It was interesting as he asked me what I wanted to achieve, personally and physically. I said I wanted to walk my daughter to school on her first day. He told me of two options – pain management or amputation, so I asked him what he would recommend to his son in the same situation. He said amputation. It has been the best decision I have made.
That must have been a really daunting choice to make.
It all came down to whether I would be able to walk or not and the quality of life in doing things with my family and things that I love. It was an easy decision really. In the end, I was learning to walk again at the same time my daughter was learning to walk for the first time!
So what have you done that stands out as otherwise impossible if you hadn’t made this life-changing decision?
In 2011 I cycled from Lands’ End to John-O-Groats. Then in 2013 I skied the South Pole with the charity Walking With The Wounded, I did the London Marathon in 2015 and my first Marathon Des Sables in 2016 – but had to pull out due to an injury. I managed to complete the MDS second attempt in 2017 as the first double amputee to have done it.
So setting yourself goals is the key - what is your training program for this MDS?
Previously I had done a lot of running, but now more so I’m walking long distances, cycling, nutrition is important and of course, using diPulse which adds that extra resistance when and where it’s needed – the idea is that I can develop my endurance further.
We understand you have been supported by 2124 brand which has created your training gear and the garments you will wear for the MDS. Who are they?
They are a Taiwanese sports brand that specializes in fabric technology to provide the optimum materials for activewear. We have had lots of discussions with them and they are producing bespoke diPulse integrated training wear for me and the same for the garments I will be wearing during the MDS. Really looking forward to using fully bespoke sports gear designed specifically with the challenge in mind.
And how have you found training with diPulse?
Obviously, I have a biomechanical disadvantage which means I use muscle groups differently than other people with both legs. diPulse allows me to target the areas I need to focus on and there really is no cheating – you can’t circumvent the muscle activity it produces. I genuinely feel stronger with it. I also use the sensory stimulation programs to deal with phantom pain – I use the gel pads for this and I’ve noticed a huge improvement here.
So are you feeling confident about the upcoming MDS?
Yes – I have the benefit of having done it before, so I know what to expect, what works, and what doesn’t. I’m in the final stages of training and so concentrating on nutrition now along with endurance to keep the momentum going.
You have optimism and positivity that we could all learn from. Tell us why you push yourself to achieve what most people wouldn’t attempt.
I do believe that things are never as bad as we think they are. There is always a different way to look at situations. For instance, some people when they hear I’m doing the MDS ask me “why would you?” and I reply, “why wouldn’t I?”. It’s simple really – from someone who was learning to walk again at 30 years old, I have learned to keep challenging myself to prove I can still do the things I love.
We are in awe of Duncan and hope you’ll follow his Instagram page
Learn a bit more about Duncan here
If you’d like to donate to the charity Duncan is representing, please find them here
With thanks to 2124 for collaborating with diPulse to create Duncan’s MDS garments.