Colin Javens Story
Now 29, Colin has been paralysed for 9 years - breaking his neck by diving off a harbour wall into deceptively shallow water. The accident was devastating for him and his family; it shattered their lives. Slowly, slowly, however, Colin began to rebuild, gradually founding the basis of a different but strong life for himself and those close to him. As the foundations grew so did the determination not to let his disability stand in the way of his dreams.
Rehab took one day less than a year! Colin returned to Harper Adams University College to complete his degree, after which he launched his pioneering project and life-long dream of driving from the UK to Cape Town, naming it 'Driving Home'.
Driving Home wasn't just about a boy's dream, or staging a return to Kenya, the country of his birth; it was about raising funds and awareness for spinal research and for those who had suffered from a spinal injury.
The expedition was hugely successful and raised a staggering £534,000 for spinal research projects; including sponsoring four spinal injury projects in Africa. However some of Africa's hardest 22,000km over 164 days took their toll; Colin lost a staggering 10 kilos, sustained 3rd degree burns and the wear and tear on his body produced ten areas of skin breakdown.
Colin uses his experience of how determination, teamwork and technology helped to overcome adversity, even in the toughest situations. His return to the UK has spearheaded the development of Spinal Research West Midlands Branch - a project aimed at raising money for research into a cure for paralysis. Read more >