Man who broke neck skiing takes on half marathon

A man who did not discover he had fractured his neck until he sneezed two days after a skiing accident is preparing to run the Shoreditch Half Marathon.

Jack McCooke, from Angel, north London, was on holiday in Val d'Isère, France, when he went "flying" over a lip in the snow on 11 April 2024 and landed "badly" on his neck.

Five months later, he had to "learn to walk again" due to a serious knee injury after he fell down a flight of stairs.

Two years on, after experiencing these life-changing injuries, he is encouraging others facing long recoveries not to give up hope.

"It was any other normal day really," he said. "It was 10am and we were skiing along.

"I wish it was a triple backflip off something super dangerous that did it, but it wasn't really... I just went over a lip and the bindings on my skis were misfitted."

"When I came to, there was a group of people around me... but I somehow managed to walk away from it, which I probably shouldn't have been able to."

Despite being in "all sorts of pain" over the following days, McCooke assumed he was suffering from severe whiplash and did not seek medical attention.

But on 13 April, while sitting at his desk, he sneezed, felt a shooting pain through his neck and passed out.

He was taken to accident and emergency at Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital, where doctors confirmed within 45 minutes that he had fractured a vertebra in his neck which was "digging" into his nervous system.

"Doctors were shocked that I was still standing," he said.

"When she said I'd fractured my neck, I laughed at first because I thought she was joking."

The diagnosis marked the beginning of a long recovery. Months of physiotherapy helped him regain movement and manage severe pain, and he was gradually beginning to get his independence back.

Then, in September 2024, a second accident brought another major setback.

McCooke fell down a flight of stairs and ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), a serious knee injury that would require reconstructive surgery and yet more rehabilitation.

"After having just finally gained some freedom and independence back, it was unendingly aggravating," he said.

"It just felt so unfair."

Because of NHS waiting times, he did not undergo surgery until February 2025. That was followed by another three months of recovery.

"It ended up being a two-year-long stretch of recovering from injuries," he said.

"You're two years older and you're a different person altogether, so you don't get those years back, which is frustrating.

"You have to try and make the most of it going forward."

After five months on crutches, surgery and six weeks wearing a leg immobiliser, McCooke said he had to "basically learn to walk again".

It was not until September 2025 that he was able to run once more.

Now, almost a year later, he is preparing for the Shoreditch Half Marathon on 20 September, combining regular running with ongoing strength work and physiotherapy.

While grateful to be active again, he said the effects of his injuries remain part of daily life.

"The physio is continuous, strength exercises are continuous, and I have to avoid things that are going to be heavily jolting or aggressive," he said.

"Even just being in a car... and going over overly bumpy roads is painful."

McCooke hopes his experience can encourage others who are also in recovery.

"I think a lot of active people who run into an injury in their 20s, whether it's an ACL or a fracture, can find it a real challenge," he said.

"But there is light. Don't give up hope."

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