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Keen cyclist Jim Dollimore, fourth from left, cycled from Cape Reinga to Bluff in 2018 to raise money for Springboard Community Works.
A pioneer of the Mahurangi oyster industry hopes to return home at the end of July, following a horrific bicycle accident in southern Marlborough.
Biomarine director Jim Dollimore, 69, broke his neck following the accident in February and is being treated in the Burwood spinal unit in Christchurch.
He is currently confined to a wheelchair for much of the day, but has been learning to walk again using a harness attached to the ceiling.
He’s also been learning to hold a pen and write and do other tasks with his hands.
Despite the major setback, Mr Dollimore says doctors are quietly confident he will walk again and be able to go back to work.
Mr Dollimore says the accident has not put him off cycling and he hopes to rejoin The Warkworth Riders cycling group at some stage.
“Accidents will happen. If I did not go cycling, I would likely die of a stroke or something anyway,” he says.
Partner Gill Telford says Jim is progressing slowly but surely.
“We see no reason why he won’t make a full recovery, but it could be years rather than months,” she says.
A marine biologist, Mr Dollimore pioneered a method of farming that allows oysters to access both quality deep water and time out of the water when the tide goes out.
He is a former president of the New Zealand Oyster Industry Association.
