Long-time Squamish local and retired Howe Sound Secondary teacher Cyndi Cunneyworth considers herself lucky.
She's lucky, she says, that a car accident earlier this year left her as an incomplete quadriplegic and that—coupled with relentless hard work—some function is returning.
"I'm fortunate my disposition has always been positive, optimistic, and seeing everything half-full," she said over the phone from G. F. Strong Rehabilitation Centre in Vancouver, where she's been since spring. "That's why, as a counsellor and coach, I was considered a positive motivator. I've definitely had to use that for myself."
In late April, Cunneyworth was driving to Ucluelet when she lost control of her vehicle and drove off an embankment, launching into trees 4.5-metres below. Her son, Carey, was driving in front of her and witnessed the crash. They were on a stretch of highway with no cell service, but he was able to flag down vehicles to get help.
Cunneyworth was airlifted to Vancouver General Hospital, where she underwent surgery to realign her spine. She spent 12 days in intensive care before being transferred to G.F. Strong.
"Being in good shape, my muscles seem to be coming back quicker," the 63-year-old said. "Not the nerves—that's a different story, but at least my muscles, once I start to get moving, muscle memory comes back a bit. The big thing: attitude is altitude. It gets you to the top. That's one of my counsellor sayings."
Kathy Cormack, a fellow teacher, said Cunneyworth was known around school for her "determined spirit."
"She would always go the extra mile to help kids and connect with others. Cyndi always has a smile on her face and an abundance of positive energy to share with others regardless of how she may personally be feeling."
With a broken neck at the C4 vertebrae and her spinal cord partially severed, Cunneyworth was told by one doctor she would never walk again. And while she will likely never 100% regain her functioning—her torso remains paralyzed and her left side weak—she managed to walk into one recent doctor's appointment with help from a walker.
"I'm getting better and stronger, but I wanted to show him his good work," she said. "I'm in my wheelchair most of the time … I'm getting stronger in my walker. G. F. Strong is amazing. I call it boot camp. For me, it's a 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. job, Monday to Friday. I put in more hours than that. I stretch in the night as well."
Prior to her accident, Cunneyworth—who was a physical education teacher and then a school counsellor—was extremely active running, skiing, and biking. She had passes purchased for both Whistler Blackcomb and Whistler Olympic Park this season.
"Definitely my life as athletic Cyndi will not be athletic Cyndi," she said. "I'm going to find other interests. I'll be active, but it won't be skiing and hiking the [Stawamus] Chief and going up the gondola on a daily basis. I'm trying to focus on what I can do."
That said, she's already had a taste of the activities Whistler Adaptive Sports Program offers after attending an "adrenaline camp" they held over the summer.
"I'm so thankful I went," she said. "I was so tired from working so hard during the week … It was the best thing I could do. Every one of us has been through a hard struggle and everyone was willing to share. I learned a lot of stuff. We did adaptive paddleboarding on Alta Lake … I've got connections already and I'm really hoping, with Whistler Adaptive, to get out on the sit ski."
Cunneyworth is set to leave G.F. Strong and return to the Brackendale home she shares with her husband, Bob, on Sept. 27.
Friends launched a GoFundMe, "Cyndi’s Recovery Fund," to help with purchasing anything she might need for the next leg of her journey.
Progress with this type of injury generally plateaus between six and nine months, and Cunneyworth will continue pushing herself to see how far she can go.
"I learned to surrender," she said. "Trust and surrender are two words I've repeated to myself. I have to surrender to it. I'm doing the best I can and whatever I end up with, I end up with."
- With files from Carl DeGurse
