The odds were stacked against Mike Newman following a horrific bike accident that left him paralysed, but he's shattered all expectations after learning to walk again and training to become a personal trainer.
Mike Newman, 30, was left paralysed after being thrown off his bike during motocross practice in 2019, leaving him with his L3 vertebrae shattered, a punctured lung, and a fractured tailbone and pelvis.
The personal trainer, from Hayling Island, Hampshire, was rushed to hospital in a helicopter, and then he spent almost six months in hospital trying to recover from his injuries. Doctors told him he may never walk again.
But after being in recovery for four years, Mike has broken down multiple physical barriers, and is now able to walk short distances. He's even gained his personal trainer license, and he's now the 'fittest he's ever been'.
Speaking about his accident, Mike said: "I was on a motocross track when my bike hit a rock and the accelerator just pinged.
"I got thrown off, and I landed on my back when I just felt it explode beneath me. I tried to get up, but I couldn't move. I got airlifted to hospital, and had metal rods inserted into my back to help with the break.
"Because my nerves were all messed up, I couldn't feel my legs at all, and it really affected my bowels, so I had to use a catheter for quite some time.
"My legs ended up just withering away to skin and bone, I couldn't feel them at all, and when the feeling came back, they were incredibly weak, almost lifeless.
"I had to stay in the hospital for around five and a half months, whilst waiting to go to a spinal rehab centre, as I wasn't able to go back home because it wasn't accessible.
"My wounds got infected during my stay in hospital, so they had to cut me back open to clean the wounds which wasn't ideal.
"Then in February 2020, I ended up snapping the rods in my back which led to me being there for another month whilst I was fixed up."
After being discharged, Mike made it his mission to get back on his feet and learn to walk again. It was a long process, and he had to use a range of assistive equipment including a wheelchair and Zimmer frame.
Mike admitted that being able to use the toilet by himself was a huge achievement, and he went to the gym as soon as he was able to gain some strength. He then began to regain feeling in his legs, but he would lose his balance and slip often.
Once he felt strong enough, Mike decided to retrain for his personal trainer license and was the first to complete the course in a wheelchair.
He's now hoping to use his experience of paralysis to help train other people in a similar situation to give them the new hope they need to get back on their feet again.
Mike credits his friends and family for helping him through his rehabilitation after his accident, and loves how much they have inspired him to keep going.
He said: "My partner, Emma-Jane, 29, has really pushed me out of my comfort zone and always challenged me to push past what I thought my limits were.
"I recently danced with her for the first time which felt amazing, and as she's a pole dance instructor, she's even had me give the pole a go!
"I think having my mum, friends and Emma-Jane be there for me throughout all of this, has made what would have been a very isolated period in my life, turn out to be one of my most progressive and challenging times where I have come out ten times better on the other side.
"I may never be back to 100 percent, and still need my wheelchair when I over-exert myself, but I've come so far and I'm so proud."
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