From a spark of an idea to Back Up: Jess Stock on helping build a legacy 

7 January 2026

Jess stock one of the founders of Back up

As part of Back Up’s 40th Birthday, we’re celebrating the people whose ideas, energy and generosity helped create the charity we know today. One of them is Jess Stock, whose friendship with founder Mike Nemesvary played a vital role in forming the charity we see today. 

Can you tell us a bit about your background and how you first met Mike?

In the 1970s and 80s, I ran a company called Europa Sport, which imported and distributed skiing and mountaineering equipment. As part of our marketing programme we sponsored a number of top athletes, and one of them was Mike Nemesvary. 

He and I got along very well, perhaps because I used to compete in ski aerials in the early 70s. We shared the same love for the sport and for pushing limits. 

What do you remember about the time of Mike’s accident?

Not only was Mike a world champion freestyle skier, but he also made numerous TV and film appearances, including performing stunts in the James Bond film  A View to a Kill. Aged 24, Mike’s life changed forever. During a routine training session on a trampoline, he landed awkwardly and broke his neck. 

I was devastated by his accident. I remember being almost overcome with emotion visiting him in hospital and thinking about his future. On the drive home afterwards, I started planning how I could help. The next day, I launched the Mike Nemesvary Support Fund to raise money for him. 

The response from the winter sports industry was tremendous. Within days, the total pledged and received far exceeded expectations. 

How did the idea of setting up a charity come about?

After Mike left hospital, we stayed in touch and often met up. Alongside talking through his recovery, we started to discuss how the fund could be developed to support other people with spinal cord injuries, particularly other athletes. 

Mike was also in regular contact with Barbara Broccoli, who was immensely supportive of this growing idea. 

My lawyer advised that we should formally establish the fund as a charity, and they very generously carried out all the necessary legal work free of charge. 

Where did the name “Back Up” come from?

The name Back Up came to me quite unexpectedly. I was driving north to visit my girlfriend in Aberdeen and had been playing around mentally with all sorts of names. Just as I reached the outskirts of Aberdeen, Back Up jumped into my head. 

It now seems such an obvious name for a spinal injury charity – simple, positive and perfectly in tune with Mike’s outlook on life. 

What was your role once the charity was established?

My active involvement in the new charity was quite limited, as I was in the process of selling my company and moving to Chamonix in France, where I lived from 1986 to 2000. 

I now live near Nelson on New Zealand’s South Island with my wife, Vaila, and our son, Rory, pictured above. We spend our time working on our 120-acre property, where commercial forestry, orchards and landscaping projects keep us busy year-round. Rory is a professional photographer specialising in mountain biking. 

How do you feel seeing Back Up today, 40 years on?

As a distant spectator, I’ve been absolutely delighted to watch Back Up grow and become such a professional, successful and important organisation. What began as a response to one person’s injury has evolved into a charity that supports thousands of people affected by spinal cord injury across the UK. 

It’s wonderful to see that Mike’s original spirit of adventure, optimism and inclusion still runs through everything Back Up does. 

Join the celebrations

Throughout 2026, we’ll be reflecting on our story and the people who made Back Up what it is today.

You can be part of it too: