Marc Aspland, The Times sport photographer, says that his recovery after a horrendous road accident earlier this year has been helped by a well-wishers’ campaign which has gone viral online, attracting the support of the likes of Jonny Wilkinson, Frankie Dettori and Sir Elton John.
Keen cyclist Aspland was involved in the accident in March. Left unconscious by the roadside, the award-winning photographer suffered terrible injuries. His broken bones are now all mended, or plated, but he suffered severe brain trauma in the crash.
As the journalism website, Sub-Scribe.co.uk reported, recovery from that, Aspland says, “is a long slow road. This Times photographer is learning patience”.
His photographer colleagues, many of them SJA members, rallied round to organise a hashtag – #GWSMarc, for Get Well Soon – and encouraged top sports figures to take selfies and take part in videos to show their thoughts are with the popular Aspland.
“It’s all been a little overwhelming,” Aspland said.
All sorts of sports stars, colleagues and mates have taken part.
From the likes of Rugby World Cup-winner Jonny Wilkinson, Olympic champion Jess Ennis, most of the England cricket team, former Wimbledon champions Boris Becker and Andy Murray, Ryder Cup golfer Ian Poulter, jockey Frankie Dettori, even Sir Elton John – Aspland started out on the Herts Advertiser, the local paper for Watford, where Sir Elton was a long-time chairman – have all done selfies or taken part in a mini-video from well-wishers.
Multi-award-winner Aspland has been described as “less a sports photographer, more a photographer of sport”. Earlier this month, the Royal Photographic Society awarded him an Honorary Fellowship, recognising the craft of sports photography, too, another massive boost to his confidence as he battles back to full health.
And Aspland’s finest work, using pictures taken over the course of his 25-year career, have also been published in book form this month.
In common with our selfie colleagues and friends, the SJA of course would also like to say:
#GWSMarc.
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2015
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