Pat beats near-fatal crash and takes another world record

Pat Reeves turns 75 later this year and just when you think you know her story, she adds more.

In the 1970s Pat was diagnosed as terminally ill with a rare genetic cancer. She went vegan and beat the cancer. She went on to run impressive marathon times before turning to powerlifting and recording records. Pat claimed a collection of British, European and World records across age categories – keeping count has been a job in itself.

September 2018 threw another challenge at Pat, which she was lucky to survive. “A driver, high on cocaine overtook our hospital taxi at 150 mph. They hit the barrier, spun around and hit us head-on and killed my driver friend of ten years outright. I was left crushed under the roof and had to be cut out and airlifted. I was in an enforced coma for twelve days.”

The devastating injuries were massive, although the worst was that Pat’s lungs were crushed. She also had ongoing nerve damage, which is now classified as MS.

“I was given three months in June 2019” says Pat. She’s given oxygen for 90 minutes twice each day and nebulised hydrogen peroxide treatment.

“I’m still functioning!” she says.

A new world record

As you might expect from someone like Pat, she didn’t give up. Now competing in the Masters Level 8 age category, she lifted at the recent English National Single Lift Championships. The diminuitive grandmother deadlifted and with each lift broke a world record. Her max lift of 60 kg will stand for her 50.5 kg category.

Pat believes that she would have been killed by the cancer had she not turned to veganism. She’s now fought another massive battle with nutrition and an indomitable spirit.

Adding another world record would have seemed almost routine to Pat at one point. After recent events, the achievements are beyond incredible.

Pat’s profile

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