Phillipa’s story: Rediscovering self-belief after spinal cord injury
30 March 2026
Meet Phillipa:
- Owns three Shetland ponies called Fleur, Tilly and Eric
- Enjoys visiting National Trust sites
- Loves craft activities, like wreath making
In July 2020, Phillipa sustained a spinal cord injury as a result of a horse-riding accident. “I remember everything – I fell face first off my horse and damaged my spine from C3-C6. I became paralysed from the neck down, meaning I can move my arms a little, but I don’t have any feeling or movement in my hands or my legs.”
She was airlifted to the Midland Centre for Spinal Injuries, where she began her rehabilitation. “Initially, I found it really difficult having to rely on other people. Trying to use the power of language to describe how I wanted my face washed or my teeth cleaned – that was hard.”
The pandemic meant she had limited contact with her loved ones during her time in hospital. “Covid-19 made a challenging situation even harder. It was difficult for me because I felt isolated both physically and emotionally. But it was also difficult for my friends and family because they couldn’t see what I was going through or come to terms with what had happened.”
After being discharged from hospital, Phillipa discovered Back Up. “When I left the spinal centre, I was given a pack of support materials. At first, I didn’t feel ready to move forwards, but slowly I started looking through the resources and I learned about the charity’s courses.”
In 2024, she signed up for our multi-activity residential in the Lake District. “Prior to my accident, my husband and I loved going to the Lakes and spending time outdoors in nature. When I saw the opportunity to go back to the Lake District with Back Up, I was so excited – and it was a real turning point for me.”
Taking part in a range of activities helped her rebuild her self-belief. “We went canoeing, king swinging and zip lining, to name just a few. With each activity I learned not to focus on what I can’t do, but to focus on the things that I can – and I discovered I can do a lot more than I thought.”
Throughout the week, she got the chance to develop her wheelchair skills. “One of the volunteers on the course was a power chair user like me. He took the time to teach me lots of useful techniques that I’d never tried before, like how to reverse in my wheelchair. We also practiced going along a disused railway line which was fun – I hadn’t gone that far in my power chair before, so that was really useful.”
She also felt encouraged by the supportive community around her. “Everybody was so warm and welcoming. We all had our own challenges that we wanted to overcome, and we worked together as a group to cheer each other on and achieve our goals.”
“The course showed me that it’s okay to do things differently – you have to live life in a way that works for you, and most importantly you should have fun! I felt empowered to challenge myself and I’ve decided nothing is going to stop me anymore.”
Looking ahead to the future, Phillipa has plans to return to the Lake District for a holiday so that she can spend more time in nature and explore the woodlands in her power chair.
When asked what advice she would give to others, she says, “Don’t be afraid to live life – you’ll be amazed at what you can do, so trust yourself. And if you need extra encouragement, reach out to Back Up. They have been there and done it before, and they’ll help you realise that anything is possible.”
