Running for rangatahi: Five Kiwi legends and their international marathon mission for Canterbury’s young people

When Shane Thrower crosses the finish line of the New York City Marathon this November, alongside the Crusaders Team Manager and three former All Black and Crusaders legends, it will be another remarkable milestone in a journey that began with learning how to walk and talk again. 

In 2003, Thrower set out on what was meant to be his first training ride for the New Zealand Ironman. Instead, he was struck from behind by a car travelling at over 100 kilometres an hour, sustaining a traumatic brain injury, multiple broken bones and spending four days in a coma, two weeks in intensive care, then three months in hospital. 

What followed was months of rehabilitation and the daunting challenge of learning how to live again. 

"I had to relearn how to talk, walk, social behaviours, everything," Thrower says. 

"I had massive memory loss. They told me I had a brain injury, but straight away I'd forget that I had a brain injury." 

Even a short walk around the hospital gardens left this adventure racer exhausted. Then came a conversation he’ll never forget. 

"I had a doctor in hospital that told me I'd never work or play sport at a competitive level again. I quickly named him ‘Dr Never’ and set one of my first goals and was determined to prove him wrong.” 

Rather than becoming discouraged, Thrower turned those words into motivation. 

"I saw it as a positive because it really inspired me to beat the odds." 

Now, more than 20 years later, he's preparing to tackle one of the world's most iconic running events alongside Crusaders Team Manager Aaron "Webby" Webb, former All Blacks and Crusaders Captain Kieran Read, Crusaders 150-gamer Ryan Crotty and legend first-five Colin Slade. 

Together, the group is aiming to raise at least $125,000 for Te Tahi Youth, a Christchurch organisation providing free health and wellbeing services for young people aged 10 to 24.