Crash victim in charity channel swim

Georgina Stickels is training at her local swimming pool in Witney before attempting the 22-mile swim to help raise funds for people with spinal injuries.

She feels "so lucky" to be able to help, and live a normal life after recovering from her horrific accident.

Ms Stickels, of Corn Street, Witney, was 18-years-old when she went on her second skydive near Melbourne, Australia.

"The first dive was brilliant, but on the second, it all went horribly wrong," she said. "I was paralysed from the waist down."

She took up the sport, using a solo parachute, for its excitement in 1993. Serious accidents are rare, but hers was one of them.

"I jumped out of the plane and everything seemed fine. But at about 1,000 feet, a wind got up and there was nothing I could do. It was terrifying. I couldn't control where I was going.

"Instead of landing in a field, I came down on some tarmac. Fortunately, someone arrived quickly and told me not to move, just lie there till help came.

"I broke my lumbar vertebra in my lower back. I couldn't walk. I couldn't go to the loo.

"I spent my 19th birthday in hospital, recovering from surgery to put me back together.

"I spent eight months learning how to walk again. I was lucky, I was young, fit and healthy, and I had awesome medical care.

"But, for some people, no matter how hard they work, the damage is done — and there is no cure for spinal injury."

Ms Stickels, an Australian, came to England more than two years ago, and works for design and engineering consultants WS Atkins at its Eynsham offices. She is now 34.

Her charity swim is for Aspire which helps young people with spinal injuries live more fulfilling lives.

She has already started counting down the lengths she has to swim between now and Christmas at the Windrush Leisure Centre pool in Witney.

She has set herself a target of £1,000. To help the charity, call Ms Stickels on 01993 201024, or see justgiving.com/georginastickels.