The Hangman’s Fracture, Paralysis and Movement.

Sarabjit Singh Walia, an outdoor educator.

Having climbed two 7000m+ peaks, an IPSC gold medalist, and an advanced mountaineer even before he graduated school, Sarab has always been a very physically and mentally abled individual.

He’s an outdoor educator, counsellor and the master of the science of personal mastery. Throughout his life he’s helped, kids, adults, individuals and organisations in self leadership.

Even after numerous mountaineering expeditions, cross country bike rides, backpacking trips or any adventure you can think of, during our conversation he very humbly called himself to be “never being physically fit but being very mentally strong.”

In 2019, on one such workshop at the Scindia School, a cannon fell on his neck crushing his C2, C3 & breaking his C6 a.k.a. The Hangman’s Fracture.

Post this incident, the doctor informed him only for the second time in his life (first time when he was 18) that he’ll be paralysed neck down. Being the fighter that he is, he was up and running within a few weeks.

Life after this was tough, difficulty brushing teeth, neck hurting even coughing or sneezing, unable to look back simply to reverse his car, frequent nerve pains so severe some days, completely immobilising him.

It was almost two years after the accident we started working together.

Being his former student, accountability to me worked for him as he said “he’s never exercised in his life on purpose.”

We worked on increasing his Range of motion, strengthening his posterior and just creating more awareness with his body. Understanding how muscles work, trying to feel and control them individually.

Post our sessions he “felt like a different man walking out, more agile, more nimble, more straight, never felt this light even before the accident”

Slowly slowly his range of motion increased, the intensity of pain reduced. He even said to have a “mindset change. Was able to push myself more, endure a little. Looking forward to training something I never did.” He was now easily able to look back and twist his spine.

He said two things really worked for him while training him. “Firstly how you would give me space while still being firm and adapting your coaching to me everyday was great along with the fact how at every step there was constant conversation, education and sharing of knowledge to make me understand the why’s, what’s and how’s.”

Understanding individual needs and working towards achieving HEALTH is what drives me to what I do and I’m so grateful for it.

Sarab and I are still working together so Sky is the limit to where we can reach next!