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MIKE COSGROVE
Part 1 of 2 parts
Isaiah 40 v 31 'but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint'.
Although brought up in the Catholic faith, Mike Cosgrove believed his born again, close intimate journey with Jesus began when he wholeheartedly gave his life to God. The business he started from scratch in the motor trade industry began to grow and prosper as daily he and his wife committed everything they had to God.
Mike's passion for adventuring and in particular mountain climbing began with the eruption of Mount Ruapehu in 1995. He meticulously planned each goal, trained and executed each climb, ticking off mountains in 7 continents of the world. "As we progressed and prospered we knew it was God's blessing and gave Him the glory". Mike realised he could help others, raise money for charities and draw closer to God. Each climb showcased God's masterpieces of beauty and majesty. Mike believed God blessed him because he was faithful to Him and always put Him first. Mike inspired others around him and wanted to challenge particularly young people, to get off the couch and get out there.
In 2013, 11 years ago whilst touring Northland on a 650 Suzuki Enduro motorbike, Mike was hit on a windy piece of road by a ute with bull bars. As he waited for Emergency services to arrive severe shock and pain set in, but although he went flying over the bonnet of the ute, only his leg was impacted and not the rest of his body. He was to find out later his leather motorbike boots had saved him, he was so thankful. Air lifted to Waikato hospital the surgeons set about trying to assess and save his mangled right leg. After Xrays to evaluate the extent of the damage Mike's wife, now at his bedside, was told by the surgeon 'they were so close to having to take the leg off, it was only the fact of his previous history and supreme fitness they decided to work and try to keep the leg intact." They found his hip, femur [the longest and strongest bone in the body], patela [kneecap] tibia and fibia [shin bones] and ankle, severely fractured. "My knee was squashed". "My whole life was adventure, ably using both legs was essential." Mike gives God the glory for saving his right leg. It was a miracle. Mike's family and friends continued to pray round the clock.
Screws were put in the knee to try and hold it together. "I could see the Philips top screw heads poking through my skin. They took a skin graft from my good leg to close up the gaping open wound around my knee where it had slammed into the fuel tank of the bike. The tender inside part of my knee still requires me to sleep on my side with a pillow between both legs".
A plaster cast was tried and had to be immediately taken off. Both heels even now are too tender to rest in bed on a sheet. A sheep skin on the sheet is used for comfort.
Mike describes his month in hospital as a haze of drugs dealing with the pain. At one stage his family had to convince him there were no mice on the curtains and the caring hospital staff were not trying to kill him. Surgery after surgery followed, 13 in total and resulted in Mike's right leg being 48mm shorter than the other and now, half the size of the healthy leg and burn marks all down the leg as the flesh and skin died off.
Undaunted and because all his life he had been a planner, Mike started thinking about his next goal. "Life throws curved balls, but I used this time of rehabilitation to recollect, talk to God and plan my next adventure. I never lost hope. "Life is not a dress rehearsal." I re-evaluated and thought, this has happened but I am not going to cease adventuring and aiming high.
Running marathons and climbing up mountains had been my interests. In a 24 hour time frame I climbed up Mounts Ruapehu, Ngaruhoe, Tongariro and Taranaki. As a fund raiser for an orphanage in Africa, I climbed Mount Te Aroha 10 times in 48 hours [the equivalent of climbing Mount Everest from sea level]. He had also ascended Mount Ruapehu 54 times. I said to the Doctors, "I need to work now to get back to doing what I was doing". The Christian specialist who saved my leg from amputation, spoke to me matter of factly one day saying "this [recovery] is going to take a lot longer than you think Mike".
"I was at home on crutches with the district nurse coming in every day to change dressings plus many trips back and forwards to hospital. I had several shoe uplift changes to match the length of my leg as it changed after each surgery. I was given psych evaluations to ensure I was not depressed. How could I be when I knew God had promised He would look after me, no matter what.".
To set another goal was like breathing and nothing new to me. To get up walking unaided on two feet was my first goal. I began training with walking on the roadside picking up rubbish. This led to longer distances of 23 kilometers to a nearby town, but one day I walked there and back, a distance of almost 50 kilometers. It took me about 10 minutes to walk 1 kilometer. "I will get back up Mount Ruapehu and prove that to myself. And I did". I wanted to get back to running a marathon but eventually settled on the goal of walking a marathon in under 6 hours. "There was never a time when I thought it was all too hard. I committed every step to God and decided I was not going to make this difficult. I'm going to carry on planning and training to achieve my goals and if I inspire or teach anyone along the way, I will".
Whilst on a motorbike tour in Australia and years before the accident, a seed was planted of walking the Nullarbor Plain [an almost flat semi arid plain of southern Australia located on the Great Australian Bight]. Could I walk with God's help, the flat almost treeless 1256 kilometer plain in the heat, day after day?
Isaiah 40 31 'but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles, they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint'.
MIKE COSGROVE
Part 2 of 2 parts
After 13 surgeries and 2 years of rehabilitation on crutches, Mike felt ready to set new goals and began planning his next challenge. His right leg was 48 mm(almost 2 inches) shorter and half the size of his healthy left leg. He wanted to prove to his Christian surgeon that all the surgeries and work he had put in saving his leg, were valued and would be used for good. With the aid of a built up shoe, Mike began an intense training schedule to prepare his body for the grueling 1200 km walk across the Nullabor Plain in Australia, a huge empty flat piece of land punctuated by stunted vegetation, kangaroos, emus, eagles, wild dogs and camels. Nullabor in Latin means 'no trees'[nullus arbor] and spans 2 Australian states {Western and South Australia} with different time zones. Many consider this Eyre Highway as one of the worlds greatest drives.
Travelers navigate this epic barren area of Australia challenged by the weather, just two lanes of sealed road making passing treacherous at times, heavy trucks, road trains [over 50 meters long], and the vast nothingness. Along the narrow sealed long straight stretches (some 147 km in length) passing vehicles brings a downdraft dangerous to smaller vehicles, cyclists, or anyone walking on the metal road side. Wise adventure's carefully plan their trip between road houses for expensive fuel stops, phone reception, water, food and often accommodation. But there is mystery and beauty in the sunsets, especially along the Great Australian Bight area closest to the Indian ocean.
Mike and his wife hired a motorhome to provide for their daily needs, water, food preparation and safe warm sleeping overnight accommodation. Most travel west to east but with friends awaiting their arrival In Perth, Mike decided to walk from the end in Ceduna {South Australia] to what many consider the beginning, Norseman in Perth.
Mike dedicated his walk to raise funds and awareness for mental health, proudly wearing a cap bearing this commitment. After delays due to Covid finally the designated start date in 2023 arrived and with his wife driving the motorhome and preparing the nutritious meals and support he needed, Mike planned to walk 50 kms per day. Prayers were answered and everything fell into place, but Mike knew daily prayers were essential to his success.
"I usually started my walk anytime around 3.30am - 4.30am. This was to beat the heavy trucks on the road which became a real danger at times. My wife would often stop further along the road at 5-10 kilometer distances and wait for me so I could refuel and take on water. (She read over 10 books in the 25 days). The early morning sunrises and precious time with God in the quiet of the morning air were priceless. Occasionally travelers would stop and ask me, what on earth I was doing out there? One day I had the opportunity to counsel a lady who was on her way to Perth to find her son who was having serious mental health issues. He was living in a car somewhere. I told her I would pray for him, which made her cry. She was just standing in the middle of the road in the middle of nowhere. She felt I was doing this walk for her son."
Three extraordinary things happened proving to Mike, that God was walking with him every step of the way. The first hiccup was lack of sleep. Mike struggled with back pain and due to his motorbike accident, found he could not sleep without a pillow between his knees. The pain on the tender part of his knees was too intense. In the hustle and bustle of 1000 details, they neglected to pack this item in their travel luggage from New Zealand. On day 3, struggling to stay strong, Mike felt the affect from lack of sleep over several nights. When he set off walking that day he prayed and asked the Lord to help him in his time of pain, fatigue and need. That very day as he walked on in pain, Mike's attention was drawn to an object perched on the only bush in sight, beside the road. On closer inspection, and to his utter amazement and delight, Mike discovered it was a pillow covered in the dark pillowslip. Not a cushion, a pillow! Thankyou Jesus. His wife later that morning, driving along behind at a safe distance saw Mike in his puffer jacket carrying a pillow under his arm! His sleep was never a problem again.
Each day began at 3.30am often in very cold conditions. To stave off the monotony, Mike decided to dedicate each day to pray for his family. "I've got 5 children and 13 grandchildren, so I decided I was going to schedule a walking day to pray for each child. I told their parents via txt which day I would pray and dedicate my day to that particular child". Mike believed his family knew and felt 'Grandad is out there all day thinking of and praying for me'. Even when there was no cellphone coverage I would ahead of time, notify the family I would be praying for that family member on that particular day. Over the 25 days every family member was prayed for at least once. Mike felt a strong bond of love and connection to each loved one.
Mike's decision to walk east to west was against recommendations for the wind in that vast area. Most cyclists ride from west to east to take advantage of the wind at their backs and not on their noses. "I chose to walk into the wind". Committed to this decision, Mike found the winds strong and often very cold especially in the early morning hours. "Even a light breeze after 10 hours of walking, was taxing". Each day I would pray for God's favour and found there were only 1.5 days when the wind affected me. As I prayed I would find the wind instead of on the nose, would veer to my side or often come behind me pushing me along. The cyclists I met complained as daily they had to push into the wind. Miracle after miracle after miracle.
Mike walked through the pain and discomfort, on shoes that carried the names of friends and family who had taken their own lives. He reached his 1211 kilometer goal where friends awaited him, in 25 days pausing for only one rest day. In an article printed in 'Wilderness Magazine June 2023' Mike states, "I wanted it to be hard because I know that people going through issues of mental health have it much harder than what I'm doing out here".
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