Days before turning 29, Justin Smith was seriously injured in an attempted hijacking. Despite surrendering and handing over his wallet and cellphone, the attackers shot Justin in the neck, while he was laying face down on the ground. The bullet lodged in his C6 cervical vertebrae; incredibly, after a week in hospital, he had regained some function in his right arm, but was still classified as an incomplete quadriplegic. Faced with the reality that he was mostly paralysed from the shoulders down with a less-than-optimistic prognosis, Justin had to begin rebuilding his life and learning to function as a quadriplegic. We take a look at his incredible story.
centres in South Africa, he realised there weren't any with the facilities to help him with the last leg of his recovery. He did however discover Project Walk, a spinal cord injury recovery centre in Carlsbad in California. In preparation, he began fundraising, and working with a biokineticist to build his core strength and stability. One of the less-obvious difficulties Justin faced, was the financial pressure his injury and the road to recovery placed on him. In an interview with a local paper before his departure Justin said: 'My long-term goal is to form a foundation that can assist those who don't have the means, but do have the drive to achieve more.'
Justin didn't have the means, but he did have the drive and a friend who recognised this sponsored his time at Project Walk. Vowing not to return until he could walk on South African soil, Justin set off for the US. Upon arriving at Project Walk, Justin's workout sessions went from 3 to 10 hours a week. Miraculously his persistence and determination paid off and by the middle of 2007 he was able to walk with the assistance of a walker. 'I spent nine months at Project Walk, during which time I was able to regain a considerable amount of mobility. Neuro physio, René Jordaan, and biokineticist,
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