When a devastating car accident left Taylor Gough, a promising young rugby player, paralysed from the chest down, he faced a daunting challenge. However, through sheer determination and a newfound passion for adaptive sports, Gough has not only regained his independence, but is now setting his sights on the 2028 Paralympic Games.
At the age of 20, Gough’s life took an unexpected turn when he woke up in the hospital, unable to move or speak. The accident had left him with a spinal cord injury, and doctors delivered the difficult news that he would never walk again. “They said, ‘You’re not going to walk again. You’re going to be in a wheelchair, but you will be completely independent.’ I just had to learn how to do that,” Gough recalls.
The adjustment was profound, not only physically but also emotionally. “As well as losing function, I lost my identity, because I thought I was a rugby player and that’s all I was. I used to live, eat, breathe, sleep rugby,” he explains. Gough had to relearn everyday tasks, such as using the toilet, getting on and off the sofa, and navigating a wheelchair.
However, Gough’s resilience and competitive spirit refused to be extinguished. Through physiotherapy, counselling, and training at rehabilitation centres, he reconnected with the determination that had made him a successful rugby player. “It allowed me to focus on what was going to get me better and make my life easier, which was getting fitter, faster, stronger and lighter,” he says.
Gough’s journey back to sport was not without its challenges. He initially tried wheelchair basketball and tennis before returning to rugby, this time in a wheelchair. He has since competed in para-CrossFit and para-canoeing, representing England and winning a bronze medal at the European Championships in the Czech Republic.
“It felt amazing to be on the start line, to get that competitive feeling back,” Gough says, reflecting on his return to competitive sport. He now trains daily, sticking to a 1,500-calorie diet and incorporating many of the same weightlifting exercises he used to do as a rugby player, with the exception of leg-focused exercises.
Gough’s determination and resilience have inspired those around him. He married Paralympian wheelchair rugby player Kylie, and their home is a hub of sporting rivalry as they push each other to new heights. “I used to compare myself with who I was before my accident. When you do that, you just drive yourself into a deep, dark hole,” Gough says. “Now, I look at the rugby days and I’m glad I got to do that. I compare myself with the person lying in that bed, and how far I’ve come since then.”
Gough’s ultimate goal is to compete for Great Britain in handcycling at the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. “I want as much out of my body as I can get, because the fitter and healthier I am, the better quality of life I’m going to have,” he says.
Through his remarkable journey, Gough has not only regained his independence and found a new passion for adaptive sports, but he has also become an inspiration to others facing similar challenges. His story is a testament to the power of resilience, determination, and the human spirit.
