Royal Marine injured in skydive takes on Ironman

Michael Oakes says he is grateful for being able to resume his favourite sports

A Royal Marine who broke his back in a skydive accident 12 months ago is competing in Sunday's Barcelona Ironman contest.

Michael Oakes from Andover, Hampshire, was told he may never walk again after the incident at Netheravon, Wiltshire.

His determination to recover has already seen him return to skydiving.

On Sunday he will embark on a 3.8km swim, a 180km cycle and 42.2km run in the Spanish competition.

Michael Oakes underwent major surgery on a fractured vertebrae

On 8 October 2023, Mr Oakes was completing his 379th skydive, and his eighth of the weekend, when he hit the ground at 40mph (64km/h).

He fractured a vertebrae in his lumbar spine - a life-threatening and life-changing injury.

He was airlifted to hospital by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance where he underwent major surgery and was told he would not be able to do anything significant for nine to 12 months.

Mr Oakes said: "I remember tears rolling down my cheek.

"My friends know me as someone that's always running, swimming and cycling so to have all of that taken away from me was monumental.

"My life would be entirely different."

Michael Oakes has already made a return to skydiving

Mr Oakes is using the Ironman race to raise money for the air ambulance charity that saved him.

He said: "I am so grateful that I can still do the things that I was doing before.

"We donate to these charities hoping that we'll never need them, but without people's donations and support, I'd have been on the ground, perhaps for hours, in a pain I can’t describe.

"While you simply can't repay that sort of thing, I want to raise a little bit of money for the air ambulance for what they’ve given me."