In March this year, David Savage was walking with the aid of a crutch, the result of injuries sustained when a suicide bomber detonated within metres of him two years ago.
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Only a month later, he is aiming to walk 10 kilometres this Saturday in Canberra's Australian Running Festival.
A former federal police officer, Mr Savage was working in Afghanistan as an aid worker for AusAID when a 12-year-old boy approached his group and detonated his vest.
''I had my back turned, but I heard the blast, and one of the soldiers who was opposite me, I saw him flying through the air but didn't realise I was probably doing the same thing,'' he said.
''I probably lost consciousness for a short time but then I regained it when the soldiers were trying to do first aid. I remember that, unfortunately, fairly vividly.''
Mr Savage sustained critical injuries and was flown to a military hospital in Germany, where he was treated for two weeks.
Once stabilised, he was flown to Australia, where he spent two months in hospital in Sydney, and then a further two months in a Canberra hospital.
When he was released in September last year, he could only walk with the aid of crutches for about 50 metres at a time.
Working with physiotherapist Rachel Harrison-Wyatt from ergogym in Phillip, Mr Savage set himself the goal of walking 10 kilometres. He gradually increased his distances, building up to walking nine kilometres last week.
''Doing the nine was pretty tough. On the day, I think the last kilometre will hopefully be on adrenalin,'' he said.
Other than a brace on his left foot and wrist, plus scarring to his leg, Mr Savage's ordeal isn't visibly noticeable. But two years since the blast, he still deals with his injuries on a daily basis.
On top of gym sessions with Ms Harrison-Wyatt three times a week, Mr Savage sees a speech therapist and occupational therapist.
He still uses a crutch when he has to stand for long periods, and balance is an issue.
He has a mild traumatic brain injury, which causes short-term memory problems, and he has had to relearn to write and do other basic tasks.
Ball bearings remain lodged in his body.
Mr Savage is using the walk to raise funds for Soldier On, an organisation that supports people who are wounded in battle. Soldier On was launched about the same time Mr Savage came back from Germany, and even though he wasn't a soldier, the group supported him and his family through his recovery.
So far, he has raised almost $8000 and hopes to raise as much as $10,000 before the event.
Ms Harrison-Wyatt, whom Mr Savage calls his ''mistress of pain'', will accompany him on the walk, along with eight others, including his son, Christopher. Mr Savage's wife, Sandra, and daughter, Belinda, will be waiting at the finish line.
■ The Australian Running Festival is on April 12 and 13. To support David Savage, visit gofundraise.com.au.