During my 12 years in the Royal Air Force as a physical training instructor, these sports changed, but not my dedication and devotion to be the best at whatever I was doing. Making the most of the ample opportunities I was given, I tried many sports but generally focused on hockey, volleyball and motorcycle trials-riding, gaining representative honours for the RAF and local civilian clubs.
An area I specialised in within my trade was the great outdoors. This was to take over my life, as I worked my way through instructor certificates in kayaking, mountaineering, climbing, sailing and skiing. These adventures would take me all over the world and was where I felt most alive. My free time was replaced with trips to rivers, mountains and rock faces, where I pushed my limits to the extreme, as I had always done in sport. But this time, the pursuit of winning was replaced by the natural high of success and an unquenchable thirst for adrenalin.
In 1998, I was sent to Germany to work at the RAF Winter Survival School in Oberammergau, Bavaria as a ski and survival instructor. In the summer, I worked as a sailing instructor in Kiel on the Baltic Sea. This was an absolute dream job for me, with many amazing memories and adventures. What a great life!
Then, on 25 February 2000, that all changed and my world turned upside down. Whilst on duty ski instructing a group of pilots in Garmisch, Bavaria, I fell over and broke my back.
I was on a gentle run doing no more than 5mph when I hit a soft mound of snow My skis stopped dead and threw my weight over the tips. I tried to recover, but was ejected out of the front of my bindings and landed head-first like a javelin The weight of my legs crushed a vertebra in my back, causing spinal cord damage and paralysis from the chest down. This simple, freak fall had my students lined up laughing at my fall and waiting for me to stand up and continue. I’ll forever remember their faces as I said: “I’ve broken my back.” I can't explain the feelings and thoughts that go through your mind, other than thinking a lifetime of sport as I knew it had gone. What would I still be able to do?
I was evacuated by the Ski Patrol and taken to Garmisch Hospital, the pain unbearable. My worst fears were realised when the doctor showed me the X-ray and joked: “You don't need to be a doctor to see that's broken.” Five weeks and five operations later, the smashed vertebra had been removed, a bone had been grafted from my hip to form a new vertebra, titanium rods were holding me upright, a haematoma had been removed from my spinal cord and nearly two litres of fluid had been sucked from my lungs. The worst was over. Or so I thought.
In the early days as a spinal cord patient, you are unable to move or do anything for yourself, depending on your injury level. Normal daily tasks become extreme chores, bodily functions pack up and you have tubes and tablets for everything. You become totally reliant on the nurses for your every need. But for me, it was through this dependency that I lost a great deal of dignity and self respect. I craved independence and the ability to look after myself. That, I found, would take some time.
With this time and rehabilitation, I soon realised that life doesn’t end when you’re in a wheelchair. In fact, it opened up so many other opportunities. I ventured back onto snow at the National Sports Centre for the Disabled at Winter Park, Colorado, organised by The Back-Up Trust. Apprehensive at first, I soon found my love of skiing hadn’t been lost and using a seated ski was just as much fun as before. I returned to Colorado the following two years and on the third trip, I was introduced to racing. The rest, you can say, is history….
I resigned from my job as the manager of a new water sports centre, where I had spent two years building the business, to chase my dreams! Big decisions developed from that moment. I moved to Canada for the winter with my girlfriend (now wife) to take part in a special disabled race-training programme, where I learned my trade as an alpine ski racer.
Not long after that, in 2003, I joined the British Disabled Ski Team. And it wasn’t long before my natural competitive spirit and dedicated training programme put me back on the podium.
With my aims, goals and objectives achieved well ahead of schedule each year, I moved up the ranks on the World Cup circuit and was shocked to be selected for the 2006 Winter Paralympics in Turin, Italy. My ultimate dream that I had always had as a child - namely, to be part of the Olympic/Paralympic experience - had come true. I was quietly confident, but shocked everyone on the day by putting in the performance of a lifetime, just missing out on a Paralympic medal in the downhill race by half a second!
Can you just imagine the sensation of flying down a mountain on one ski, sat down, over ice, bumps and getting air, at speeds of over 50mph with a huge crowd roaring as you cross the finish line? Being part of Team GB at the Paralympics was an incredible experience. This sport has totally replaced everything I’ve done in the past. It satisfies my every need and has regenerated my life.
What a year it had been, as the previous summer I achieved another major goal in my career, but this time on the water. Representing Great Britain at the World Disabled Water Skiing Championships in Belgium, I took the coveted overall (slalom, trick and jump combined) world champion individual title and also the team title. This was backed up a year later with the European title in the summer of 2006 and again the world team title in Australia in 2007.
The following winter, my best ever, was especially successful for me, as I managed to claim a total of 13 medals (11 of them first places) and thereby place myself firmly in the top 10 in the world. I was the only points-scoring British World-Class Skier last season and qualified to compete in the full World Cup circuit for the forthcoming season (2008-09).
I believe I’m far from my final potential. But I’m incredibly focused and passionate about building upon my success next season, with the ultimate vision of taking medals at the 2010 Winter Paralympics in Vancouver!
The 2008-09 season will be a busy one as we compete in Korea at the World Championships, around Europe and Canada on the World Cup circuit and other northern American events. Expectations are high that I can bring home the first World Cup and World Championship medal for Great Britain and I don’t want to disappoint anyone - especially myself!
To continue making these dreams a reality, I need your support every step of the way. The podium positions and bringing home medals for Great Britain are all well within reach.
I’m constantly focusing on being part of a successful British Disabled Ski Team.- and to help raise awareness and increase the profile for disabled athletes and putting the team up on a pedestal for all to see. I really enjoy the invitations to do motivational talks to companies and organisations, where it opens people’s eyes to what’s possible, what we do and hopefully inspires others to get on with life.
I have a beautiful wife Leana. We married in September 2006 in Canada and we now have a little baby boy Thomas, who was born in the summer of 2008. The joys of a happy family are priceless!
So overall, my life could not be better and I wouldn’t turn back time for anything!”
Being one of the Simpsons - There are world-record holders and there are world-record holders. And then there is Robin Simpson. MORE. . .>>
Life in the fast lane - Be Number 1’s Paula Walker, the driver of the British No 2 women‘s bobsleigh, discusses Team Walker and bobsleigh in general.. MORE. . .>>
What is Olympism - The Olympic emblem of five interlaced rings is one of the most instantly recognisable symbols in the world, but the Olympic Games is just one facet of what is called "Olympism". MORE. . .>>
COMMENT ON THIS ARTICLE > Have your say - click here. . .
|
