Injured Mansfield biker’s ‘channel’ swim to say thank you to medics

But thanks to The Air Ambulance Service’s flying doctors, and medics at a number of hospitals, she is back on her feet, back on a bike, and raising money as a thank you for the treatment and support she has received.

She is halfway through a three-week challenge that sees her swim 89 lengths a day of the pool at YourSpace, off Quarry Lane, Mansfield.

By the time she has completed the gruelling challenge, she will have swum a distance of almost 22 miles, the equivalent to the width of the English Channel.

She said: “My hobby before my accident was hiking but sadly I cannot do that now because of my accident, and swimming helps me with my mobility.

“The challenge is going well so far, and the arms are OK, but I do have a stiff neck. I really want to thank everyone who has helped and supported my recovery so far.”

Debra has set up a fundraising page – justgiving.com/fundraising/debra-morley.

Money raised will be shared between The Air Ambulance Service, and the Nottingham City Hospital Burns Unit.

The 60-year-old, from Ravensdale Road, Mansfield, was at a junction at Rowsley, near Chatsworth, Derbyshire in February 2019 when the accident happened.

She was trapped under a car for about 25 minutes, with the hot exhaust burning her right leg to the bone.

She was airlifted to hospital in Sheffield and it was thought she would have to have her leg amputated.

After a number of skin grafts, treatment with leeches, and nine operations, she is now back on her feet and back on a bike.

She had been riding a Triumph Speedmaster 1200, but now rides a more manageable Honda Rebel.

Her niece, Charlotte Moon, described Debra as a ‘trooper’, and said: “We are all so incredibly proud of her. After nearly losing her leg, and undergoing operations and physio, she is now swimming the equivalent to the English Channel. She is amazing.”