In a new documentary ‘The Mountain Within Me’, former England and Wales rugby star Ed Jackson has shared his inspiring journey to recovery following a near fatal accident that left him paralysed.
After breaking his neck diving into a swimming pool, Jackson was left completely paralysed from the shoulders down and told by doctors he would never walk again.
The former rugby star has now shared his remarkable feat of recovery and journey to becoming a mountaineer in a new documentary – from the first wiggle of his toes to scaling the heights of Yr Wyddfa, the Alps and the Himalayas.
Described as a story about unexpected change, hope and finding renewed purpose in life, The Mountain Within Me follows Ed as he challenges his medical prognosis and takes on the physical and mental challenges of recovery following this life changing spinal injury.
Speaking to the Doncaster Free Press about his accident, Jackson commented: “It was really mundane actually, I walked down to the side of the swimming pool, took off my t-shirt and there was a feature pool in one end so I couldn’t see how deep it was and I just jumped and dived in to cool off and what I thought was seven or eight feet deep, turned out to only be three feet deep.
“I hit my head very hard on the side of the pool, dislocating my C6 and C7 vertebrate which rendered me completely paralysed which isn’t ideal when you’re in a swimming pool.”
Jackson went on to say: “I was fortunate enough that I had an incomplete injury, if I’d had a complete injury, I categorically would never recover. I’ve been able to recover within the scope of my injury and I wanted to get the the top end of that.
“My support network is one of the main reasons I got there and not everyone has that.”
The Mountain Within Me is set to be released in UK cinemas from 23 August.
