Ed Jackson

Hi i’m Ed. In April 2017 I broke my neck diving into a swimming pool. The accident left me paralysed from the shoulders down and cut short my professional rugby career. This blog documents my journey from the first few days in intensive care to who knows where…..

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Thanks for having me @jeremyvineon5 🙌🏼 . It’s been a whirlwind of a week, straight back from the mountains on to prime time TV 😳 great show and lovely panelist’s. . Full show available on catch up if you missed it. . #JeremyVine #JeremyVineshow #TV #morningtv #inspirationalstory

Day 17 The Long Way Down. To give you an idea of how remote we were we just took the shortcut back to Lukla which took 4 days on foot. For the first two days we were retracing our steps before the small matter of veering off and heading up and over Chatra-la pass which at 4800m is the same height as Mont Blanc. A cocktail of jubilation and exhaustion meant emotions were running high as everyone struggled to digest what we had just done. Tired would be an understatement to how my body was feeling. I had lost feeling in most of my fingers and toes on the mountain but as sensation returned so did the pain. I have no sensation in my right foot anyway which is a blessing in times like this but my left foot was now sending shooting pains with every step. I resorted to the breathing techniques we had been learning with Arron but it was going to be a long 4 days. I’m not going to lie there have been moments on the descent which I found really tough mentally. We hit some bad weather with snow and ice making every step treacherous. Back to back 10 hour days, multiple falls and an already knackered body was testing my resolve. It was no harder than the way up, in fact it was physically a lot easier but it was certainly highlighting the importance of having goals. As we headed up, no matter how hard it got there was a focus, we were driving towards something and it helped rationalise and overcome the pain. Now we were leaving the most magical place any of us had ever been and the only goal was a warm shower. Everyone was struggling but the group pulled me through. Whether it was Netra’s smile, Kim’s laugh or James’s witty anecdotes there was always someone to lean on when times got tough. It’s so important to have goals to aim for but it’s even more important to surround yourself with great people who will help you get there. It has been a privilege to spend the last 3 weeks with this rabble and after what we’ve been through we will be friends for life I’m sure. Now for the flight out of here and a couple more days in Kathmandu before heading home to reality & my amazing wife & my dog & a roast & a big bed..you catch my drift. . An amazing adventure il never forget🙏

❌Warning! Explicit but understandable language in video! 2/2 . After about an hour our progress had stopped and I looked up to see a congregation of head lamps. Before I knew it two more of our team had been turned around due to altitude. I could barely mumble ‘get down safe’ before they were gone. We were down to 10. I had completely zoned out when I noticed a red hue over Everest to the East. The sun was rising and it was the boost we needed. If I said I had no doubts I would be lying. Every step my body was screaming for me to stop but I know things about myself now. I know that the mind almost always gives up before the body but not this time, this time my body was going to have to give up before my mind. I had too many reasons to be here, too many reasons to succeed, and I was going to find the depths to make it happen. After what felt like hours, I looked up and the summit was only a few hundred metres away and for the first time I took in where I was. The worlds highest mountains seemed a stones throw away to the North whilst the Indian subcontinent spread I to the distance to the South. It felt like we were stood at the junction between the sky and the Earth and it was then that we knew that we had made it. There was no way with the summit in sight that we could turn back. With the last few steps the cold seemed to drift away and everything became clear. A year of planning and dreams culminated in this moment. We had done it, finally I had achieved something that I never thought I could even when I was able bodied. I have realised a dream of mine but there’s no way I could have done it by myself. There has been so many people responsible for getting me to the top of this mountain, many of them back home, many of them on this trip. It truly has been a team effort and one I will never ever forget. Believe in your dreams. A special mention to @exemplarhealthcare and @berghaus for their support but thank you to all of you have joined us on this journey from afar and in particular those who have donated. Namaste 🙏 P.s. Next years climbs will be announced in the coming weeks so if you would like to join us on an adventure, keep your 👀 peeled!