Small Steps, Big Results

In 2017 professional rugby player Ed Jackson dived into a swimming pool, misjudged the depth and broke his neck, leaving him paralysed from the shoulders down. He was told he would never walk again...

But Ed refused to let that be the end of his story. Through painstaking rehabilitation, determination and a huge amount of mental resilience, he gradually began to regain movement.

Now he climbs mountains and helps others discover what they’re capable of.

“Obviously I went through some very dark times in hospital when I thought I would never regain my mobility,” said 37-year-old Ed.

“I remember spending every waking moment trying to wiggle my toes and the frustration when I couldn’t do it. Eventually though movement, and with it hope, did return. After six months I could stand.

“I know how very fortunate I’ve been to reach the level of recovery that I have.”

Ed now has Brown-Sequard Syndrome, a neurological condition that results in weakness or paralysis of one side of the body and loss of sensation on the other. It means he struggles daily with bowel, bladder and sexual function.

But less than a year after his accident, Ed climbed Yr Wyddfa, or Snowdon, the highest peak in Wales, an extraordinary achievement that would prove to be the beginning of something much bigger.

Happy Again

“I realised very quickly that the mountains aren't simply something to conquer,” said Ed, who has gone on to climb Mera Peak in the Himalayas and last year reach the unexplored 4,720m summit of the remote Tien Shan mountain range in Kyrgyzstan.

“They were helping me heal, making me happy again. The climbs gave me something to work towards and showed me that recovery isn't just about fixing the body, it's also about rebuilding the mind and rediscovering a sense of possibility.”

“Together with his wife Lois, a qualified life coach, Ed began thinking about how the lessons he’d learnt during his recovery and on the mountain could be used to help other people dealing with trauma and adversity.

“It wasn’t long before we knew we had a formula that would work and that we could share. Millimetres 2 Mountains (M2M) was born.

“The name says it all. Recovery can happen one tiny step at a time — one millimetre at a time — before eventually leading somewhere that once seemed impossible.”

Today, M2M is a charity using the great outdoors, adventure and community to help people redefine their limitations and take steps towards a brighter future.

Its beneficiaries include people dealing with the mental consequences of trauma, physical disability and life-changing adversity.

And this isn't simply a case of taking someone for a nice walk in the countryside.

Finding Purpose

The charity's beneficiary programme takes people facing mental-health struggles on challenging outdoor adventures, giving them the chance to experience something difficult, unfamiliar and potentially transformative.

“Then there is our Together Outdoors programme of free community walks designed to bring people together in nature,” explained Ed.

“The walks provide an accessible environment where participants can move, talk and connect with people who understand the challenges they are facing.

“For the people taking part, the benefits can go far beyond the obvious physical ones. There is the confidence that comes from completing something you didn't believe you could do.

“There is the opportunity to meet people who understand what adversity feels like. There is time away from the pressures of everyday life, surrounded by nature rather than hospital rooms, therapy appointments or four walls.

“And, perhaps most importantly, there is purpose.”

To find out more about Ed’s programme of walks and where you can join in, click the link: https://www.millimetres2mountains.org/category/uk-walks