From Crash to Comeback: Riding Across Europe to Give Back

The Journey

This is not just a story about loss. It is a story about survival, rebuilding, and refusing to be defined by trauma. With the support of medical professionals, charities, and organisations that believed in me, I am slowly rebuilding my life. Now, I am taking on my biggest challenge yet. I’ll be embarking on a 2,800-mile, 28 days, motorcycle journey with my 19-year-old daughter, Zara, who will ride her own bike. We’ll leave Plymouth on 23rd August 2026, travel through France, across the Pyrenees to Andorra, then through Spain, Portugal, and northern Spain (including the Cantabrian Mountains), before returning to the UK by ferry from Santander on 21th September 2026. Averaging around 100 miles per day, we’ll avoid motorways and take scenic routes wherever possible. Each day, we’ll record highlights, challenges, and memorable moments, sharing short Instagram updates so supporters can follow our progress. We’d love your encouragement throughout the ride.

This ride is more than a personal challenge — it’s about giving back to the people and charities that helped rebuild my life. Every donation helps these charities support people facing catastrophic injuries — those just starting the journey I once faced. I’m fundraising for three charities close to my heart: The Bike Experience, the National Association of Bikers with a Disability, and Day One Trauma Support. The Bike Experience, introduced to me by Dorset Orthopaedic, helped me ride again with adapted motorcycles and expert guidance, giving me the confidence to believe it was possible. The National Association of Bikers with a Disability provides guidance on adaptations. I met Day One Trauma Support through speaking engagements, sharing my experience with a Re-Active Brace, and witnessed the vital work they do supporting people and families immediately after traumatic injury.

My Story

My journey began on 22 July 2021, when a collision with another vehicle changed my life forever. I suffered catastrophic injuries from head to toe. Awakening from a multiple-week coma with amnesia, I realised the full extent: multiple fractures, a traumatic brain injury, a chest reconstructed with nine titanium ribs, a third of my left lung lost, pelvis shattered in five places now held together with metalwork, a left leg permanently damaged and two inches shorter than my right, plus major liver and kidney lacerations. Survival was uncertain, and the person I was before the crash changed forever. Recovery was not linear — every stage brought complications and setbacks, with physiotherapy limited by multiple injuries and COVID.

There were hard days, dark days, and relentless nerve pain that will last my lifetime. I had to relearn how to live and adapt to everyday life. In late 2022, Rehabilitation Case Manager Trish Dowling from Kudu Health Ltd introduced me to Dorset Orthopaedic. Initially expecting a below-knee amputation, I was instead fitted with a Re-Active Brace in January 2024. For the first time since my accident, I could walk unaided, regaining independence. In June 2025, I underwent my third major operation on my left leg. Today, I live with permanent mobility limits, nerve pain, and brain injury fatigue. Every mile I ride, every challenge I face, is proof that even after devastation, there can be purpose and hope. Navigating foreign roads and long daily distances will push me well beyond my comfort zone.

Even after devastation, there can be purpose. Even after unimaginable pain, there can be strength. Even after everything is broken, something powerful can be rebuilt. I am determined to turn my trauma into hope for others. This ride proves trauma does not get the final word. It represents resilience, recovery, and gratitude. Your support will help us complete this ride and ensure these incredible charities can continue helping others rebuild their lives. Your generosity allows them to provide life-changing practical, emotional, and financial support, offering HOPE to those who need it most.

Please follow me for further updates and videos of the trip on Instagram, X and you tube, links below - 

Instagram -  https://www.instagram.com/roadbacktolife/
X -  https://x.com/78jdubz
youtube -  https://www.youtube.com/@Roadbacktolife