Hi, I’m Becca!

In 2022, while on holiday in Turkey, I was in a diving accident that completely crushed my C5 and C6 vertebrae. After flying back in severe pain, thinking I had intense whiplash, I went to A&E by myself to get checked out. The first thing the doctor said to me was, “I’m surprised you’re not dead”— and only then did I realise that my situation was far more serious than I’d thought.

To make a long story short, I underwent two major spinal surgeries. The first was to remove the broken vertebrae and replace them with a metal structure to protect my spinal cord; the second was to stabilise the back of my neck by placing two 10cm metal rods down each side, secured with ten screws. The operations were only five days apart, and in between, I was permanently strapped into a neck brace, unable to move or sit up because my spinal cord wasn’t supported, as my tendons/ligaments were all completely damaged from the initial injury.

You’re probably reading this wondering how I can now run a marathon (me too). Here’s a bit of context: before my injury, I was obsessed with the gym. I loved the community, the sense of progress, and the positive impact it had on my mental health. I didn’t realise it at the time, but my dedication to lead an active lifestyle saved my life. After my surgeries, the doctors told me I had developed muscles in places most people don’t, which ended up being my lifeline - being the only parts of me that held my head to my body for three days, while everything else was damaged. If I hadn’t been so committed to fitness, my story could have been very different, with a life-threatening risk of paralysis, quadriplegia, or death.

Being in the hospital for a month after surgery was tough, with daily physio, ongoing pain management, and blood pressure issues from having to lay down 24/7. But the thing that kept me going? Knowing that my body had held on for dear life, even when I hadn’t known it needed to. Building that relationship, strength, and trust in my body gave me the positivity to keep smiling, knowing I had unknowingly saved my own life.

Getting back into the gym felt daunting because of my many limitations—I could only lift 10kg for six months, do no fast cardio, and stick to very simple exercises. It felt like starting over, but I had to set my ego aside and push through because no one else could be there for me like I could. I was determined not to let this injury define me. Recovery was a long road, taking around two years to feel like myself again, both physically and mentally. By taking rehab slowly and focusing on getting healthy, strong, and happy again, I finally began to see slow progress through what felt like a constant battle of highs and lows.

Fast-forward two and a half years: I started running again this year (2024) and have found the love for fitness I thought I had lost - letting go of the feeling that the gym was something I had to do to survive and turning it into something I’ve now re-grown my love for. Combining my passion for fitness with raising awareness about the incredible science and support that saved my life from Spinal Research was a no-brainer.

I’m running the 2025 London Marathon not only for those who can’t, but also to show people who think they can’t, that anything is possible with the right mindset and commitment to adaptability. Life may throw us curveballs, but with resilience, we can find our way through.