Former mayor back on feet after spinal surgery

Seven months after undergoing a seven-hour spinal operation, former Thames-Coromandel mayor Len Salt is back on his feet, rebuilding his strength as he continues his recovery.
The surgery, his third spinal operation and by far the most extensive, took place in December, 2025, after years of worsening back problems left him relying on a wheelchair and walking stick.
“It was essentially almost a total reconstruction of the spine,” Salt told The Profile.
He said his back issues were the result of age-related degeneration, but decades of physically demanding work and recreational activities had also taken their toll.
“You take it for granted, don’t you, when you’re young and you’re nimble?” he said. “I used to have a job when I was younger working for a Whole Foods company, and I would unload a 20-foot container with 50kg sacks of peanuts in it in the morning on my own. And then I’d do another one in the afternoon on my own.
“So that’s 40 tonnes of peanuts in 50kg sacks. I was young and fit and strong, and I could do it, but you pay a price later on.”
Before surgery, Salt said his mobility had deteriorated dramatically. He couldn’t walk more than 70 metres without having to stop.
Despite the pain, he continued serving as mayor, attending council meetings and 12 of the district’s 14 Meet the Candidates events during the local body election campaign.
Following the surgery, he spent several days in intensive care, requiring four blood transfusions and extensive physiotherapy.
He said he was grateful to his wife Svargo and praised the orthopaedic team at Waikato Hospital and the care he received through the public health system, saying the ongoing rehabilitation had impressed him.
“I’m still going to physio at Thames Hospital,” he said. “Once you’ve come out the other side, there’s still a lot of work that needs to be done.”
But seven months on, Salt said his recovery had progressed well.
He has set himself small goals, including walking his dog Molly and cycling four kilometres each morning.
“When I first got on the bike, I got to 500 metres and I was absolutely exhausted,” he said, “So, you know, four kilometers for me is a big deal.”
He has also returned to playing music and is preparing to teach guitar and bass again, while hinting that there was still work he hoped to do for the district.
“What’s next is to get my fitness back and to start to reconnect with some of the communities and the people that have been there wishing me well and supporting me.
“There’s some unfinished business that I have as far as what the district needs support for in terms of lobbying.”

BY KELLEY TANTAU