Marathon suit campaigner Claire Lomas was a “pioneer” who made a “huge difference,” a spokesperson for the manufacturer of her ‘bionic’ suit has said.
Lomas, who gained fame for her record-breaking walks after being paralysed in a riding accident, passed away in Jordan on August 22.
The 44-year-old, who raised nearly £1 million for charity, was described by Larry Jasinksi, chief executive of Lifeward – previously known as ReWalk Robotics, as a “remarkable” woman.
Lomas completed the London Marathon in a ReWalk Personal Exoskeleton suit.
The suit is equipped with braces to support the legs, motors to assist in joint rotation, and sensors that allow the user to control movement.
Lomas said: “But we never envisioned people doing marathons, which is about the first thing she did just a few months later. So she really tested it.”
Lomas completed the London Marathon in 2012, raising funds for the charity Spinal Research.
She also participated in the Great North Run in 2016, earning the nickname “bionic woman.”
Lomas played a significant role in the development of the suit, with the technology adapted to better suit other users.
Jasinski said “She affected the whole industry.”
He added: “She went through a devastating period and emerged from that as a person who wasn’t afraid of anything.”
Reflecting on her legacy, Jasinski said: “On a personal level, she had this very direct honesty about her injury and how she’s learned to be happy and what she had to go through.
“Her ability to explain that to us, to our engineers, and more importantly, to the world at large, was just remarkable.”
“I would say she was a dreamer. She had dreams – she followed them, she didn’t let paralysis get in her way.”
The Foreign Office confirmed that it had supported the family of a woman who died in Jordan.
