Can nature help us to overcome adversity? Ed Jackson, former professional rugby player turned mountaineer and mental health advocate spends his days proving the benefits.
April 8th, 2017, Ed Jackson suffered a life-changing injury which left him paralysed and fighting for his life. A year on from his accident, the former professional rugby player, climbed Mount Snowdon, much to the astonishment of his doctors. Since then Ed has pushed his own recovery through mountaineering and helped others who are facing physical and mental health adversity discover the benefits of a life outdoors.
The outdoors gives me a space to redefine my own limitations, but also hopefully send a message to other people who are putting limitations on themselves.
In this article we explore the adversity that Ed Jackson faced, how he discovered rehabilitation in the mountains, and share his story to inspire you. As Ed puts it, “…often when people see me limping up a mountain, it’s kind of like, well hang on a minute, what excuse have I got now, if he’s doing it, maybe I can too.”
Watch our exclusive documentary telling the moving story of Ed Jackson.
A Life-Changing Accident
When listening to Ed Jackson as he recounts the accident which broke his neck, ended his professional rugby career and left him paralysed, with doctors telling him he would never walk again, the last thing you would expect is to find a man with a thirst for life and seemingly endless positivity. Ed not only survived his life-changing accident, but you could say thrived, finding new purpose in outdoor rehabilitation and supporting others who have suffered similar trauma.
8th April, 2017, Ed was 10 years into a professional rugby career and recovering from a shoulder operation. It was a hot day and after a BBQ at his friend’s house, he decided to take a swim in the pool. Assuming it was deep, Ed dived in and hit his head very hard on the bottom of the pool, leaving him immobile. Later it transpired that the disc between Ed’s C6 and C7 vertebrae at the bottom of his neck had exploded, and his neck had dislocated, cutting his spinal cord in half vertically, rendering Ed completely paralysed from the shoulders down. On his way to hospital, Ed had to be resuscitated three times, and when he arrived he was faced with life-saving surgeries, complicated procedures and then months of rehabilitation and recovery.
Nature's Healing Power
Much to the disbelief of his doctors and family, Ed summited Snowdon almost a year to the day of his accident. His motivation became regaining as much independence as he could and completing this incredible feat to inspire others suffering similar trauma. Ed’s mission to do all he can to recover within the scale of his injury, even if that meant just wiggling a toe, led him to keep pushing himself in the great outdoors. Hooked on climbing mountains, Ed set about scaling higher and further, taking trips to places like the Alps and Nepal. Ed says “before I never gave it the time to really sit there and take it in… [the outdoors is] a really therapeutic place to be”.
Ed hopes, through sharing his story, that more people can realise the benefits of getting outdoors, and see that barriers for accessibility can be broken with just a few pieces of outdoor kit and the right support. Ed believes that “nature is our biggest untapped resource in the battle for positive mental health” and so he encourages everyone to experience its healing power.
There's No Such Thing as Bad Weather
Alfred Wainwright famously said that ‘there’s no such thing as bad weather, just unsuitable clothing’. Ed believes this saying couldn’t be truer, particularly for people with physical conditions. Recently Ed collaborated with Berghaus who designed adapted kit for him to overcome the conditions which can impact his ability to explore. Ed says “it got to a point where the limits of my disability, the lack of power in my left side, temperature regulation issues, bladder control issues, these things were becoming almost roadblocks to how far I could take things outdoors”.
With a few different bits of adapted kit like a knee loop to help him manoeuvre his leg that doesn’t work properly, ventilation on the waterproof jacket to help dump heat because he only sweats from the top third of his body, access to catheter bags, all give Ed the ability to climb higher and further. Ed believes it shouldn’t be understated how important having the right kit can be to giving someone confidence in the outside, and many of the issues he faces are also experienced by others.
A Lasting Impact
Ed’s incredible sense of purpose, combined with his awareness of his own strong support network, led him to create opportunities for others who are struggling and perhaps aren’t as lucky. With his wife Lois, Ed founded a charity called Millimetres to Mountains which creates a positive change for people who are facing mental health challenges, as a result of encountering adversity in their lives.
Through exploration, he helps beneficiaries to push their own boundaries with adventures, life coaching and retraining. Having redefined his own limitations, Ed uses his experiences to inspire others to get outdoors and build their confidence. Ed says “you can’t live in regret anyway… but more than that you know, my life is so much richer now than it was before”.
If you haven’t already, watch our documentary telling the story of Ed Jackson. He’s also written an autobiography about his experiences called ‘Lucky’.
Life Outdoors is the DNA of Blacks. Enjoy more powerful stories of inspirational people who advocate time spent in nature by exploring our campaign #everydaylifeoutdoors.
