PATIENTS who have been rescued by the Wiltshire Air Ambulance have decided to give something back to the charity by running the Bath Half Marathon.

Shaun Fleming, from Wroughton, and Hayley Purps, from Trowbridge, are among those in training for the run on March 13, having had first-hand experience of the air ambulance.

Shaun was airlifted by WAA after an accident at home in Wroughton, near Swindon, just over a year ago. He fell 11 feet from a ladder while pruning a conifer tree at home in Maunsell Way on September 28, 2014.

Shaun, 57, suffered fractured shoulder blades, hip socket and a minor skull fracture in the fall and was flown by WAA to Southmead Hospital in Bristol, a major trauma centre, in 16 minutes. The journey by road would have taken over an hour.

Shaun, a painter and decorator, was in hospital for two weeks and had an operation to repair his hip. He was off work for four months.

After he recovered Shaun, who is married with two grown-up children, became a volunteer with WAA and the first event he represented the charity at was the Bath Half Marathon in March 2015. This will be the first half marathon for Shaun, an experienced runner, since his accident.

He said: “The atmosphere at the Bath Half Marathon was fantastic and cheering on the runners was quite a buzz. It made me determined to enter it in 2016.

“Wiltshire Air Ambulance is priceless. You never think you will need them – I was one of those people. I’m so grateful for the care the crew gave me. They got me to hospital safely without further complications. I’m extremely lucky.

“It’s an essential emergency service. The speed of the helicopter means it is able to get to all parts of Wiltshire within 11 minutes and can transport patients to hospital very quickly.

“I became a volunteer with them because I wanted to give something back. Being a volunteer is brilliant. I enjoy meeting the public at events and they are very generous. It’s also nice to meet other people who have been airlifted by Wiltshire Air Ambulance and hear their experiences.”

Shaun’s training is underway and he is hoping to complete the Bath Half Marathon in under two hours.

Also taking part this year is Hayley, who works in Swindon at the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council. She was told she may not walk after breaking her back in a road traffic collision.

Hayley was 17 and studying for her A Levels at The Corsham School when she suffered a broken back and pelvis in the collision in March 2005 near Shaw, Melksham.

She was treated by the Wiltshire Air Ambulance crew at the scene before being taken by land ambulance to the Royal United Hospital, Bath. It took Hayley four months before she was walking again although she used crutches for many years. She undergoes physiotherapy due to pain from her injuries.

Hayley said: “I never thought in a million years that I’d be running a half marathon, so this will be a huge personal achievement. As Wiltshire Air Ambulance were part of the team who saved my life I wanted to give something back to say thank you.

“Running is very hard for me, but I’m determined to do the Bath Half. I’m excitedly nervous about it, I know it’s going to be really tough. I don’t know if my body will physically let me get round the course, but I will crawl if I have to."

Kenresa Stratford, fundraising co-ordinator at WAA, said the charity was very grateful for both Shaun and Hayley’s support.

Shaun’s fundraising page can be found at www.justgiving.com/teams/WAABathHalf16Team and Hayley’s is at www.justgiving.com/Hayley-Purps.