Saturday 10 December 2016 12:26, UK
Freddy Tylicki remains optimistic about the future as he continues to come to terms with being paralysed in the lower half of his body.
Tylicki was one of the riders involved in the four-horse pile-up at Kempton at the end of October, being airlifted to St George's Hospital in Tooting, where it later emerged he had suffered a T7 paralysis, meaning he has movement in the upper half of his body but not the lower.
After spending 15 days in intensive care, Tylicki was last month moved to a general spinal ward and the 30-year-old has now spoken publicly for the first time.
"I'm dealing with it day in and day out. I have good days and I have bad days. At the moment I have more bad days than good ones," Tylicki told The Sun.
"But I'm going to be moved to rehab in the next couple of weeks and I'm looking forward to that, as it will be the next chapter in life.
"I've been in this hospital bed over five weeks and I have to say the doctors and nurses could not have been better - but it's been very intense.
"Going to rehab is something I'm really looking forward to as they are fully specialised and focused on patients like myself."
Recalling the incident, the 30-year-old said: "I remember everything. I remember every little detail about the fall.
"But I don't remember being taken to hospital as the boys tell me I was knocked out. I just woke up in intensive care.
"From very early on I knew there was a big problem. The doctors talked to me very quickly and I obviously had feelings in my upper body but none in my lower. I put two and two together very quickly.
"I also had eight broken ribs on my left and ten on my right, although I couldn't feel that in intensive care because of all the painkillers."
Despite his injuries, Tylicki has not completely given up hope of walking in the future.
He will shortly begin his rehab at the London Spinal Cord Injury Centre in Stanmore.
He said: "They will show me how to dress myself, how to make my own bed, how to go swimming, how to drive a car.
"In America there are a lot of things going on and I've been Googling away. I've been making myself wiser and I'm interested in anything.
"Who knows what will happen as far as possibly allowing me to walk again.
"It's hard to talk about the future. Even harder for me as I've never experienced anything like this. The doctors have been very realistic, though.
"The impact on my spine was very, very hard because of the speed we went. But no one knows. I could be feeling something in one month or three months down the road. There's a lot of bruising in my body that needs to heal."
He added: "Of course I think, 'Why me?' "If I said no I would be lying. You are going to ask yourself that.
"But is that going to change anything? No. So the only way to deal with it is to accept it and somehow move on.
"Obviously there are a lot of changes to my life about to happen but I'm looking forward to giving it a go and making the most of it.
"I'm still very strong-minded as I always have been. My mind hasn't changed at all."
