Paralyzed by gym accident, woman warns against skipping safety supports
A woman was paralyzed during a workout at the gym when she was crushed by a barbell weighing 120 kilograms (265 pounds). She now warns everyone to always use safety supports during workouts, especially when performing squats, to avoid similar accidents.
Henrietta Paxton, a physical education teacher from Salisbury in Wiltshire County, England, survived an accident that changed her life forever. During a workout at the gym, she sustained serious spinal injuries. The 40-year-old woman performed a series of squats when the barbell slipped off her back.
As she tried to reposition the weight on her shoulders, she overcorrected her stance, causing her to lose balance and fall forward. The 120-kilogram (265-pound) barbell crushed her, causing severe injuries.
After being taken to the hospital, an MRI and CT scan revealed that Henrietta had a broken spine. The diagnosis was devastating—the complete spinal cord injury resulted in paralysis from the waist down.
Henrietta, a mother of two, underwent complex spinal stabilization surgery the next day, involving the fusion of five vertebrae. Sadly, despite the surgery, her condition did not allow her to move around the house normally.
As reported by the portal "LADbible," she decided to set up a fundraiser on the JustGiving platform to finance the conversion of her home to allow her to navigate it in her new reality. Thanks to people's support, £230,000 (approximately 410,000 CAD) was raised.
Squats only with safety support
Henrietta admitted that at the moment of the accident, she heard the sound of her spine breaking, and the pain was "indescribable." She admitted she should have been using safety supports, which were standard during her previous workouts before attending this particular gym.
She emphasized that the lack of safety supports had become the norm at this gym, which she said was a huge mistake. "This gym don't have any [squat safety bars] and it just became the norm not to use them but looking back, it's just a ridiculous idea to squat without them and I would say to anyone ever now just don't squat without safety bars."
Gym accident changed her life
As reported by the portal "LADbible," Henrietta spent six weeks in the hospital after the accident before being transferred to the Spinal Treatment Centre in Salisbury, where she is currently continuing her treatment. Despite the doctors' predictions, Henrietta is determined to regain mobility in her legs. Every day, she uses a verticalized device to maintain strength in her lower body and work on rehabilitation.
Henrietta revealed that additional amenities, such as an external elevator to freely move up and down stairs and a floor lift inside the house to move between floors, are necessary. A new, adapted bathroom is also needed. Henrietta hopes all these works will be completed within six weeks before she is discharged from the treatment centre.
"My long term goal is to stand again and to walk, if I want to chase that goal then I have to fund private rehab," Henrietta emphasized, expressing her determination to fight for a full recovery.
