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I have always loved the outdoors and, before my accident, I spent much of my leisure time running, walking, climbing mountains, swimming, Pilates, yoga, cycling, camping and scuba diving.

However, on 17 March 2012, I was out cycling with my partner when I was struck by a trailer being towed by a 4-wheel drive vehicle, which overtook too close. I was catapulted into the air, bounced off the trailer, and was sent spinning down the road at speed. The driver failed to stop and, despite a Police investigation, was never traced. I was air-lifted to hospital and had many abrasions, a broken nose, fractured cheekbone, damaged eye socket, facial injuries, five broken ribs, a bleeding spleen, two fractured lumbar vertebrae and spinal cord damage, resulting in paralysis from the waist down. I had five vertebrae fused together to stabilise my spine and two separate facial surgeries. I spent four months in hospital before being discharged to a house for people with spinal cord injuries, where I lived for 12 months, until we could find a suitable bungalow to rent temporarily. I also lost my job as a social worker with children in foster care, as I am unable to access children's homes in my wheelchair. The first year following the accident was the most difficult time as I didn't have anywhere to live that I could call home and my partner had to return to live with his parents. It was an emotional roller-coaster for us both. 

However, in the time since the accident, I have not let the grass grow under my wheels! I have embraced opportunities to make a good recovery by doing regular physio, hydrotherapy, and attending specialist rehabilitation centres in Tenerife and Watford. I wanted something positive to come out of the accident. I had been doing everything right - I was wearing high viz gear, cycling next to the kerb on a clear day on a straight road with my partner - but I was still hit. I believe my cycling helmet saved me from death or serious brain injury as it was cracked, punctured and dented. So, I went on BBC Breakfast TV to show viewers my cycling helmet and to participate in a feature on rural cycling safety. Hopefully, I have persuaded at least one person to wear a cycling helmet. I have started volunteering with Back Up as part of their Outreach & Awareness Team and I will soon become a Wheelchair Skills Trainer. 

Nowadays I swim, do Pilates, physiotherapy, hydrotherapy, stand in a frame, play wheelchair tennis, go adaptive rowing, hand-biking, kayaking and scuba diving. I have also tried mono-skiing, waterskiing, abseiling, rope climbing, archery, shooting, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair racing and field athletics. I would like to try my hand at para-triathlon and my first step towards this is to compete in two open water mile races this Summer. Firstly, the Great Manchester Swim at Salford Quays on 14 July and, secondly, the Epic Lakes Swim on Coniston Water on 17 August. I will be taking part in the Great Manchester Swim for Spinal Research and in the Epic Lakes Swim for the Back Up Trust and will be raising money consecutively for both. Please feel free to donate to either (or both) of my pages.

There is currently no cure for paralysis through spinal cord injury. Spinal Research is the UK's leading charity focused on finding an effective treatment to improve sensation and mobility for people with paralysis and to eventually find a cure so that a life-time of paralysis through spinal cord injury can become a thing of the past. With no government funding, Spinal Research relies entirely on fundraising and donations to enable them to continue their vital work. Please support me in my swim and, more importantly, please support Spinal Research by giving generously. Thank you.