I went from paralyzed to personal trainer — here’s my remarkable recovery story

Mike Newman is speaking out about how he defied the odds to become a personal trainer — after doctors told him he might never walk again.

Newman, 30, was left partially paralyzed after he was thrown from his bike during a motocross practice in June 2019, suffering a shattered L3 vertebrae, a punctured lung and a fractured tailbone and pelvis.

The then-26-year-old British man was airlifted to a hospital, where he spent six months trying to recover from his horrific injuries.

“I was on a motocross track when my bike hit a rock and the accelerator just pinged,” Newman, who documents his survivor’s story on his “Paralyzed to PT” TikTok channel, recalled in a new interview. “I got thrown off, and I landed on my back when I just felt it explode beneath me. I tried to get up, but I couldn’t move.”

Newman had metal rods inserted into his back, but damage to his nerves meant he was left unable to feel his legs.

“They ended up just withering away to skin and bone,” he told Caters News Agency. “I couldn’t feel them at all, and when the feeling came back, they were incredibly weak, almost lifeless.”

The Brit was finally released from the hospital in early 2020 and was largely confined to a wheelchair. With some feeling back in his weak legs, he tried to use a Zimmer Walker Frame to get around.

“Using the frame was a really odd experience as there was no feeling in my legs for quite some time, so I kind of had to just drag my feet and legs along and rely on my upper body strength,” he said.

Several months later, a determined Newman decided he wanted to build up his upper body and decided to hit the gym in a wheelchair.

“When I was in spinal rehab, everyone in the ward was having an extremely difficult time as each one was affected by some sort of paralysis,” Newman explained of his motivation to work on his fitness.

“There was a lad I got chatting with on the ward, who was just at a point of giving up, he never thought he’d walk again,” he continued. “I decided to just befriend him and drag him along with me to the gym every time I went and told him that he would get there.

“He later sent me a video of himself walking up and down the stairs for the first time in years, and it gave me that inspiration I needed to try and help others.”

With an overwhelming sense of optimism, Newman decided to train for his personal trainer license and was the first to complete the course in a wheelchair.

He’s now hoping to use his experience of paralysis to help train other people in a similar situation to give them the hope they need to get back on their feet again.

Newman credits his friends and family for helping him through his rehabilitation after his accident and he loves how much they have inspired him to keep going.

“My partner, Emma-Jane has really pushed me out of my comfort zone and always challenged me to push past what I thought my limits were,” he stated. “I recently danced with her for the first time which felt amazing, and as she’s a pole dance instructor, she’s even had me give the pole a go!”

Newman is now able to walk and work out without the aid of a Zimmer frame, but he admits he is still not back to where he was before the 2019 accident.

“I may never be back to 100 percent, and still need my wheelchair when I over-exert myself, but I’ve come so far and I’m so proud,” he declared.