Real bodies social
POLE POSITION
How amputee pole champion Andrew Gregory, 48, found himself winning (and spinning) in life in the wake of a terrible motorcycle accident
As told to Thomas Stichbury Photography Francisco Gomez de Villaboa
Nineteen years ago, I had a motorcycle accident. I was riding in a foul mood after an argument with a friend. I don’t remember much, but the bike landed on top of my left leg and smashed what was below the knee to pieces; the bones came through the skin, my foot was facing the wrong way, and my leg was bent at a right angle.
I spent a month in hospital having multiple operations to try and repair my leg, but it got infected and didn’t heal well. More procedures followed (14 in total) and yet it continued to deteriorate. I had to use a walking stick and take several painkillers to be able to function and move around.