European champion says she now wants to 'help educate others' about spinal injuries
Monday 21 October 2019 16:28, UK
Triathlete Claire Danson has revealed she is paralysed after being involved in a cycling accident in August.
Danson, the younger sister of Great Britain and England hockey player Alex, suffered a catalogue of horrific injuries, including a complete severing of her spinal cord, in a collision with a tractor less than three months after winning
gold in the 30-34 age category at the European Championships.
She revealed the extent of her injuries in a post on Instagram, saying she wanted to "help educate others" about spinal injuries.
She wrote: "It has taken me a while to write this but now I am ready to share my story of the incident that has changed my life for ever; a story of going from European champion at triathlon to life in a wheelchair.
"On the 28th August I had a collision with a tractor whilst riding my bike. I suffered two punctured lungs, broke a finger, both wrists, the head of my humerus and both shoulders. I also fractured all the bones in my neck including a break to one and had multiple fractures and breaks to every one of my ribs. I have had quite a few surgeries to sort all this and now have a large amount of metal in me. All of this will heal fully.
"Unfortunately I also suffered a complete sever to my spinal cord at T9. This means that I am paralysed from my belly button downwards. This is of course not something that will heal. Whilst I still have hard moments I have accepted the situation I am now in and won't be letting it stop me do anything that I want to (including triathlon!)."
Her sister Alex, an Olympic gold medallist, paid tribute to Claire on Twitter, describing her as "the most resilient, hard working and inspiring person you will ever meet".
She added: "Having already overcome many challenges in her life before, I know she will reign a champion of this one too.
"I don't know why this has happened, sometimes I hate the world, but I keep hearing something in the back of my head.....'Claire Danson you are going to change the world'."
