FEATURE
Life can turn in a second. One moment you’ re chasing dreams— the next, you’ re fighting to stay alive. Darren Thomas knows that all too well.
There was a time when Darren was quite literally on top of his game. He was tearing it up on the rugby field, playing 7s for the Lions and with his sights locked firmly on that iconic Springbok jersey. Fit, focused, full of fire: rugby wasn’ t just a passion, it was his path. Everything pointed forward.
But one night, everything changed.
During a violent home invasion, Darren was stabbed in the head with a screwdriver. As if that wasn’ t horrific enough, he was then shot at point-blank range.“ The bullet missed my heart by a millimetre, hitting my lung, and then it hit my spine, causing bone fragments to break through my spinal cord, causing all the damage,” says Darren. In the space of moments, he lost all movement from the chest down.
“ I don’ t remember anything from that night.” Later he woke up in a hospital bed. He tried to take out all the wires and struggled, pushing everyone away. His then-girlfriend Lauren was the only one who could calm him down.“ Doctors told me about the swelling on my spine, and I couldn’ t feel anything from my waist down.” Darren wasn’ t sure what lay ahead.
Later, after a MRI, he got the news nobody wants:“ The doctor told me,‘ You will never walk again.’ I felt like I was living my worst nightmare.” Lying in his hospital bed in rehab, he found himself slipping into some of the darkest thoughts a person can have. He truly believed that he was a burden; those around him would be better off without him. He almost gave in to that hopelessness.
“ I lost all sense of dignity, I had no control of my body. I would wake up and just think,‘ I am in hell, and there is nothing I can do about it.’” Darren also felt a need to find those who had done this to him and to exact revenge for what had happened. It kept him in that dark place:“ It consumed me.”
He discovered a lot of truths. Who his real friends were. Who would be there for him no matter what.“ It wasn’ t always who I expected. After this happened to me friends did come and visit and there were friends I have never seen again.”
Lauren lost her job to keep supporting Darren. He often told her:“ You’ re beautiful, you need to move on,” to which she replied,“ I am not going anywhere.” This support, constant and needed, was a big part of what got him through those early dark days. decided to stop seeing himself as broken and start seeing what was still possible. He told himself,“ You’ re alive, you’ re still here.” And from that moment, the rebuild began— not just physically, but in every sense.
“ I started living again.”
He got a car he could drive, a wheelchair he could manage, and reclaimed his independence.“ I drove Lauren and myself to the Kruger, and we got engaged; life sort of spiralled from there— but in a good way, like it was finally on track again.”
Today Darren is a proud husband and dad to two beautiful kids. He wakes up every morning with a sense of purpose— not just for himself, but for his family and for those watching.“ I never complain, I never feel sorry for myself.” The injury has taught him a greater sense of patience. When things take time, he accepts that this is his life.
“ Exercise was always my therapy,” and he knew to carry on he needed to get back.“ I called my trainer and said‘ I need to train again’, and he said‘ come’.” People stared. He fell off benches. But he kept going. He didn’ t go to therapy: he went to the gym.“ That’ s what kept me going, getting the strength back, feeling it.”
He discovered adaptive fitness— physical activities and exercise programmes that are modified or adapted to suit individuals with disabilities.“ I kept looking at the leaderboard, and realised I was in the top 30. It re-ignited my sense of competition.” He poured his discipline and determination into it, competing at the 2024 CrossFit World Games in Texas, and placed ninth in the world.
“ I( had) the highest injury in my competition. It was harder for me to compete, and I was upset, and angry with my disability.” The winner of the previous championship changed his view:“ He said to me,‘ Do you realise how many people you beat to get here?’ It hit me and I realised, I am top 10 in the world, and that’ s something to be proud of.” He’ s a force of nature— just on a different kind of battlefield now. His sights are now set on HYROX; he showed his power in the JHB 2024 edition.
But if you think it’ s all grind and glory, think again. Darren’ s got a sharp sense of humour and a tight-knit support system that keeps him grounded. His wife, kids, and close friends have been his anchor through it all.
He says if he can inspire just one person a day— someone feeling stuck, lost, or broken— then every scar, every challenge, has served a purpose.
Because Darren Thomas didn’ t just survive. He rose. And he’ s helping others rise with him.
Brands who have assisted Darren on his journey include and are not limited to:
@ pumasouthafrica
@ daytona _ za
@ humanperformancelab. sa
@ lottostar _ official @ biogen _ za @ monsterenergy
@ Debtrescuesa @ Zunaid. moti @ iamramzimansour
If you would like to get hold of Darren and assist in anyway, here are his handles:
@ darren _ thomas46 Darren Thomas darrenthomas46 @ icloud. com
To watch the full interview with Darren Thomas and our Roving COW Richard Laskey, watch the video below
But here’ s the remarkable part: Darren didn’ t stay in the dark. His faith pulled him through. He kept telling himself,“ tomorrow will be a better day”.
For three years, his life stayed in limbo. But his belief that he would walk again was strong and he couldn’ t accept that this was his life now. It wasn’ t until Lauren finally asked him,“ when will our life move forward?” that it hit him:“ I have to keep living, I have to live now.” With that he
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