ED Jackson’s rugby career was ended when a horrific swimming pool accident in 2017 left him paralysed.
Despite doctors telling him he’d never walk again, Ed made an inspirational recovery and has gone on to achieve some incredible feats.
Ed Jackson’s rugby career was ended by a horrific accident in 2017[/caption]
Ed was left paralysed and told he’d never be able to walk again[/caption]
Who is Ed Jackson?
Ed Jackson was born on December 2, 1988, in Bath, England.
He is a former professional rugby player turned broadcaster, adventurer and charity fundraiser.
As a youngster, Ed captained both England’s U16 and U18 rugby union teams.
Rugby career
His rugby career spanned over a decade, during which time he played for some massive clubs.
He was a No. 8 for teams including Bath Rugby, London Welsh, Wasps and Newport Gwent Dragons.
But a catastrophic accident in 2017 ended his playing career and changed the trajectory of his life.
Life-changing accident
On diving into a shallow swimming pool, Ed suffered serious spinal injuries.
Defying medical predictions, Jackson regained partial mobility through rehabilitation.
And just a year later, Ed had climbed the 3,560ft tall Mount Snowdon in Wales after defying the medical experts.
Charity work
In 2020, he ascended Mera Peak in Nepal to raise funds for spinal injury rehabilitation.
Ed’s recovery inspired the creation of the charity Millimetres to Mountains (M2M), which he co-founded to support individuals facing physical or mental trauma through outdoor adventures.
He also co-founded Vapoura Rum and collaborates with Berghaus on adaptive outdoor gear, remaining a vocal advocate for redefining disability through adventure.
[The accident] made me realise I’m way more capable in different directions than I thought I was
Ed Jackson
In 2023, Ed led an unsupported expedition to cross Iceland’s Vatnajökull ice cap with fellow disabled explorers, which is documented in the 2024 film The Mountain Within Me.
Broadcasting career
Ed transitioned to broadcasting in 2018, joining Channel 4 as a rugby commentator and later co-presenting the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Paralympics.
In 2025, he will be hosting Crufts alongside Clare Balding and Ellie Simmonds.
Crufts kicks off on Thursday, March 6, with the show taking place at the NEC Birmingham.
Ed Jackson is the co-founder of multiple charities and raises funds to support individuals facing physical or mental trauma through outdoor adventures[/caption]
In his bestselling autobiography, Lucky (2024), Ed writes: “[The accident] made me realise I’m way more capable in different directions than I thought I was.
“I think we all get pigeonholed by society, and as a rugby player, you’re told, ‘This is how you act, you like things that rugby players like, you hang around with other rugby players’.
“And I was terrified of what I would do after being a rugby player, because I thought that’s all I can do, that’s all I know, which, of course, is a load of rubbish.”
He continued: “One of the scariest things at the start was having that taken away, and my identity removed.
“But actually, in the long run, it’s been a blessing in disguise, because it’s removed that lens on my life and made me start from scratch again, and made me go out and explore who I really am and what I actually enjoy.
Ed and Louis Jackson pictured in North Yorkshire in 2020[/caption]
“So the biggest realisation for me has been you don’t have to live the life you’re told, you can go and live the life you want, find things you’re passionate about, follow those dreams and work on them. Because you’re way more capable than you realise.”
Marriage
In October 2018, Ed married his long-term girlfriend Lois in Italy on their planned wedding date — not letting the accident get in the way of their big day.
Believing he was paralysed, Ed told his then fiancée, a life coach, that he would set her free from their commitments.
But Lois insisted she would never leave him.
Ed recalls: “I was saying you should leave me because she didn’t sign up for this.
“And she stood by me like a rock the whole time, which was amazing.
“And she became a person to really focus my energy towards getting better for.”
