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How Tim regained his independence

Tim's independence was lost in an instant when he broke his neck and became tetraplegic in a sporting accident. Then he reached out to the charity, Regain and they changed his life. Below, Tim tells us his story.

Tim’s true love was taken away when he broke his neck. Once an avid adventurer, climbing rock faces, running in the hills and cycling through the forests of a weekend, his life stagnated in an instant when he broke his neck while swimming.

At 19 years old, he was suddenly rendered tetraplegic and lost the ability to use his lower body. He was incapable of doing the things that made him happy, not to mention walking and stretching his legs, which so many of us take for granted.


"Having been a very active outdoors type, I found myself in a negative spiral of frustration and depression."

Can you even imagine everything about your life changing so suddenly? You'd have to learn how to go about your daily life in a completely different way. No more trekking, swimming or cycling, that's for sure!

... Or is it for sure? Not if Regain can help it

Deciding it was time to break this spiral, Tim reached out to Regain, the only charity dedicated to helping people who have become tetraplegic in a sporting incident. Regain gave Tim a grant to get a hand-bike and he hasn't looked back since.

"Cycling had always been my first love, having lived on a bike since the age of about three or four. So to see how relatively easy it could be to return to being a cyclist with a little support inspired me more than anything else.

Just like before, I now go everywhere possible on my bike. I’ve entered local fun runs, ridden with my dog in the parks, use it to visit friends and relatives and of course, it takes me to the pub!

All of this is great, but it’s the sense of freedom and independence that I’ve regained that means the most and makes me most grateful to Regain."

How to support Regain

As you've probably guessed, there are so many other fallen adventurers who have lost their independence in an instant. Too many for one charity to support without adequate funding.

40 - 60 people every year become tetraplegic in a sporting accident, falling to the need of Regain’s aid, along with the 300+ people they already support.

With such a specific cause, this incredible charity is all too often overlooked - but with such a specific cause, their help goes a very, very long way.

Help people like Tim get their life back by joining our latest charity challenge in aid of Regain.

In at the Deep End 2020

Join Olympic swimmer Mark Foster and hundreds of other amazing people at the Olympic Lake in Eton for our first ever Swimming Challenge.

Choose to swim either a 2.2km (one full length), 5km (one complete lap) or 10km (two complete laps) course on this famous lake to raise vital funds and awareness of Regain Sports Tetraplegics Charity.

Places for our first ever swimming challenge are likely to go faster than Mark Foster himself, so please register today to secure your place.

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