‘Bionic’ Suit Marathon Fundraiser Claire Lomas Dies at 44

Claire Lomas, a charity fundraiser who made headlines as the first person to complete a marathon in a “bionic” suit after a life-altering horse-riding accident, has passed away at the age of 44 in the Middle East.

Paralysed from the chest down since 2007, Claire died following an accident in Jordan on August 22, as reported by the Melton Times.

Her life took a drastic turn 17 years ago during the Osberton Horse Trials in Nottinghamshire when her horse threw her off, resulting in broken neck, back, ribs, and a punctured lung. Despite her severe injuries, Claire raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for various charities.

A former chiropractor from Eye Kettleby, near Melton Mowbray in Leicestershire, Claire completed the London Marathon in 17 days in 2012 using a “bionic” suit. Her efforts raised substantial funds for the Spinal Research charity.

In addition to her fundraising, Claire was a motivational speaker, a qualified pilot, and was honoured as an MBE in 2017.

In a statement to the Melton Times, her family expressed their grief: “We are absolutely devastated to lose Claire. We would ask people to respect our privacy in the coming days to allow us to grieve in peace.”

Tara Stewart, chairwoman of Spinal Research, commented: “We are deeply shocked and saddened to hear of Claire’s death. She was a great supporter of ours and other spinal injury charities, and a guiding light to the entire community. It was in 2012 that she raised a staggering amount for Spinal Research by walking the London Marathon over 17 days in a robotic suit. She continued to be a powerhouse of positivity and a real inspiration to so many. This is a devastating loss and our thoughts are with her family.”

Great Run also expressed their condolences on social media, “We are deeply saddened to hear of the passing of the inspirational fundraiser, Claire Lomas MBE. Claire made history as the first person in the UK to walk with a bionic ReWalk suit, inspiring runners across the UK and beyond. Over the past decade, Claire completed many Great Run Series events alongside her dedicated support team, raising almost £1 million for charities.”

Paul Foster, chief executive of Great Run, added: “Claire was a true inspiration. Her achievement in completing the 2016 Great North Run was one of the most powerful moments in the long history of the event. Everyone at Great Run was devastated to hear of her passing, and we will pay tribute at next week’s Great North Run. Our thoughts and love are with her parents Martin & Joyce, husband Dan, and their two young daughters, Maisie and Chloe.”

Independent Thinking, an organization that had worked with Claire, also expressed their sorrow: “We are devastated to learn of Claire’s death. We first met up with Claire last year and knew immediately she would make an important contribution to our work with schools, not only as a source of inspiration but also as a living example of finding the positives in the negative, of refusing to believe in limitations, and of being uncompromising in how a life can be led.” Their statement added, “She will be missed by everyone who met her and who were both humbled and inspired by her.”