Li’s story: Finding purpose through supporting others

2 September 2026

Meet Li

• Requalified recently in Canine Behaviour Training and Psychology, and lives with several therapy and assistance dogs
• Will be attending the Back Up Ball this year (dressed as Adam Ant!)
• Was Director of Oxford Pride for three years and continues to support the celebrations

Li spent years serving as a police officer before an incident on duty caused him to sustain a spinal cord injury between C3 and C5. “It wasn’t until I was seriously ill last year that the full extent of my injury became clear. My partner took me to Stoke Mandeville with pneumonia and, later pulmonary embolisms. I’d coughed so much it was hurting my back. The hospital admitted me to the general and respiratory ward, but I sought out the spinal team to understand what was happening. That’s when I found out I’d sustained a spinal cord injury, nearly ten years earlier without knowing.” 

Li’s injury has progressed to L3 downwards from the last illness and he now uses a wheelchair full time. “I’m not somebody who likes to stay still – I love sports and I’m always doing something. But in the early days, I went into myself. I became reclusive, stopped going out, and I lost the confidence to do things I loved. I’d gone into a shell and accepted that this was life.” 

While at Stoke Mandeville, Li went over to the Spinal Unit and was handed a Back Up leaflet. “I decided to join the Back Up Lounge. During that first session, I introduced myself and immediately burst into tears. There were other people who’d had similar experiences to me. I wasn’t alone. I just remember feeling that I was in the right place.” 

After his initial experience at the Back Up Lounge, Li decided to attend the online What Next? course, and life started to change. “The course gave me the confidence, information and support to advocate for myself and challenge things. Before that, I was just accepting everything as it was. Suddenly I had all the support, information, and confidence I just needed to use my voice.” 

That shift started opening up new opportunities that meant a lot to Li. “I love musical theatre. The costumes, the music, the atmosphere. It’s an escape into another world. I’ve always sung, since I was six or seven years old and I perform in a musical theatre group.  So, one of my goals following the What Next? course was to get the train to London and see a show again.” 

A few weeks later, he and his partner did just that. “The train station staff at Bicester were amazing, they explained everything and called ahead to Marylebone. We were met off the train in London and shown exactly where to go to get the bus. The bus was so easy, too.” They found an accessible Chinese restaurant, did some shopping, and saw Moulin Rouge. “The theatre staff were out of this world. I felt very spoilt, a bit like a VIP!” 

Getting back to the things he loves has been key in helping Li gain confidence and pursue meaningful activities. “The Skills for Independence course gave me the opportunity to reflect and choose new goals. I realised my wheelchair skills are actually pretty good, to the point that nearly everyone on the course said I’d be a great Wheelchair Skills Trainer and Group Leader for Back Up which I very much intend to pursue. I’ve also just completed my mentor training. The idea of being able to support people experiencing a similar situation to me, is what a meaningful activity looks like to me right now.” 

“All I’ve ever known professionally is the police, which fundamentally is about helping people. I was also a child carer for my mum, who’s also got a spinal cord injury. Supporting others gives me a real sense of purpose. When I first found out about my injury, I became reclusive and depressed, because I thought lacked that. Being part of the Back Up community is giving me that purpose back. Just the other day my parents were saying how nice it is to see our old Li back,” he added.