Triathlete told he would never walk again takes first steps after bike crash

A man who was told he’d barely be able to move his legs again after a horrific crash has defied the odds to take his first steps.

Nathan Ford, 38, was paralysed from the neck down after a high-speed accident when he competed in the British Triathlon Championships.

Doctors told his wife and loved ones it was ‘touch or go’ whether he would survive – but he made it and is now making impressive progress in his rehabilitation.

A medic who happened to be competing in the BTC rushed to Nathan’s side to perform live-saving CPR at the race in August last year.

He spent 200 days in hospitals in Scotland and Wales after being diagnosed with a life-threatening spinal injury and brain injury.

‘I don’t remember anything from the accident, and I was put into a coma when I got to hospital’, Nathan, from Swansea, said.

‘The first part of my stay was a bit of a blur, because of all the medication I was on. I remember speaking to my family but I was so heavily on morphine I do not recall much about it.’

For 14 weeks of his time in hospital, Nathan had to wear a ‘halo’ neck brace after having a metal plate placed in his neck.

The athlete was given a tracheostomy, which allowed him to breathe independently, and has now started walking with the aid of a frame.

He said: ‘I am making good progress, although it is very small steps. 

‘Initially, I was told I would barely be able to move my legs, and I was told I would be on a ventilator for the rest of my life, and I would not be an independent person again.

‘I was also told if I had not been as fit as I was, I would not have survived.

‘I was in the best shape of my life and I’ve got the triathlon to thank for that. It has allowed me to make progress, mentally as well.’

Nathan has paid tribute to his rehabilitation team in Swansea, who he ‘literally owes his life to’.

He said: ‘I’ve been back to the hospital to see everyone who helped me, and it was emotional and humbling.

‘They will never truly understand just how thankful I am because they were “just doing their job”. I literally owe them my life, along with everyone else involved.’

He added: ‘Without my wife Catrin by my side there is no way I could have done what I have. I owe her everything, she is so supportive in everything I do.’

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