Kirkby powerlifter opens gym after brutal near-death experience

Anthony Spalding spent a week in an induced coma after the car he was a passenger in was involved in a horrific head-on collision in 2010. Parts of the fence narrowly missed his vital organs.

He was air-lifted to the Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham, where he was given an epidural to ease the pain and subsequently put into the coma to cope with the trauma.

The 29-year-old, who was 19 at the time, found that he couldn’t see and was left temporarily paralysed when he came round after seven days.

Anthony, who was a promising powerlifter at the time, eventually regained his sight and he remarkably made a full recovery.

With support from those around him – including his friends at the gym – Anthony returned to competing just 18 months after the event.

Now he has added another chapter to his remarkable story by opening Spalding Strength in Derby

He said: “My family and I like to joke about the accident. Every year we have ‘Happy Impalement Day’. But seriously, I was very lucky to survive.

“I was with my friend, Dave Eaton, who was the driver of the car. We were on a country road, just about to go round a bend, when a car travelling in the opposite direction ran us off the road.

“Dave’s car somersaulted in the air a few times before landing in a field. Dave was absolutely fine; he managed to get out of the car by climbing through the window.

“I thought that I was fine, too, until I tried to get out of the car and realised that I couldn’t move. I looked fine and initially couldn’t see any broken bones or damage.

“But I soon realised that I was skewered to the car seat by a fence post, which had gone through my left arm, into my body via my rib cage - which was completely smashed – and out the other side.”

He says exercise helped him on his road to recovery – and now he wants to share his love of fitness with others.

He said: “I have already started doing one-on-one sessions with clients I had on my books but I’m now taking bookings for group training sessions. It’s an exciting time.”