A former pro kitesurfer from West Cornwall has defied the odds and got back in the water despite being told he might never walk again following a horrific spinal injury in 2007.
38 year old Andrew Larder suffered an ‘exploding fracture’ in his spine, after a crash landing while teaching paragliding in Turkey which resulted in a vertebrae smashing down into the one below, propelling pieces of bone into other parts of his back. While doctors in Turkey used the latest techniques during four days of surgery, with a 95 per cent chance of paralysis, the prognosis wasn’t good.
After a long battle, the extreme sports fanatic is not only back on his feet walking but is back on his kite board riding the waves off West Cornwall. Not content with getting back in the water, Andrew is determined to resume his pro kite surfing career and with the incredible progress he has made to date, who’d bet against him.