“My professional career ended due to a rugby injury, which drastically changed my life.”
However, Harrison Walsh’s life continued to change, and he now has some new goals and aspirations that he is now bringing to pass.
Harrison Walsh, a former rugby player for the Ospreys, suffered a “freak” accident in 2015 while playing a match with his beloved Swansea RFC. The injury was so severe that it cut the nerves in his leg, leaving him with “no feeling” and limited movement in his right foot. His career ended abruptly, and his life had completely changed.
“Since I was a small child, I have always liked rugby. I started playing the sport in school, and as I kept playing with neighbourhood clubs, my enthusiasm for it developed significantly. I could picture myself pursuing rugby as a career eventually, and it became clear that I truly excelled at it,” Harrison recounted.
“I had the good fortune to receive full-time contract offers and start competing for the U18 Ospreys squad. Given how passionate Welsh people are about rugby, the idea of making a career out of it and possibly representing my nation was an incredible dream.”
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I would only ever get out of bed to use the loo.
But that dream was going to end abruptly. “I was informed [after my injury] that I would never be able to run again and that I could struggle to walk. Just after I had begun playing professionally, I received this horrible news,” he continued. “I was completely disoriented and unsure of what to do next. I had to adjust to a new identity, which was difficult for me both mentally and physically because I started to walk differently. It got harder to escape what had occurred to me. I had never given the term “disabled” any thought until all of a sudden I noticed how drastically my life had altered.” For the most recent Welsh
Following his healing period, Harrison began exploring various job paths and quickly began experimenting with sports to identify new areas of strength.
Harrison recalled his experience learning to throw the discus: “After my accident, I actually took a while to figure out what I wanted to do because there wasn’t one thing that I was naturally drawn to or felt I was as good at as playing rugby. I had dabbled in a variety of endeavours, including teaching rugby, attending college, pursuing an engineering profession, painting homes, and working in a restaurant.”
Harrison later got in touch with Disability Sport Wales and began experimenting with various sports. “I started studying strength, conditioning, and rehabilitation at Cardiff Metropolitan University. I was able to train while attending school full-time, which was such a wise choice. I really enjoyed my course, and being able to work out hard once more gave me the confidence I needed to get back into the sporting world,” he stated.
Sharing his advice to other people going through tough times, he said: “Don’t be afraid of the opportunities that come up. I spent a lot of time looking for jobs, and figuring out what I could do because I had no idea. My whole future had changed in a matter of a few seconds, and I really struggled at first, but I had no idea I’d go on to be an athlete in the Paralympic games.
“I don’t think anybody should try and relate their situation to anyone else’s, because we are all different. Everyone experiences unique challenges throughout life, and it is all about how you react. Going through difficult times can help you to become a more resilient person whatever career you’re in, and for jobseekers looking to get into a career it can be especially challenging. It might feel like the worst thing in the world in the moment, but it will make you who you are.”
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Harrison supports the Working Wales ReAct+ programme which offers free personalised employment support to people in Wales, including advice and funding for training for those out of work or facing redundancy.
“We all face different barriers stopping us from achieving our personal and career goals which is why I’m supporting the ReAct+ programme,” he said. “Knowing that there is tailored support out there to help people overcome barriers to work can make a massive difference. Whether that’s funding to gain new skills or one-to-one mentoring to improve confidence or help in finding and applying for jobs.”
“You never truly know what’s around the corner. Being prepared, and being aware of the people and the services that can help you during that period is key,” he added.
This Sunday, December 3, is International Day of Persons with Disabilities and from November 16 to December 16, it’s Disability History Month – so here at WalesOnline, we’re working on a range of articles which aim to raise awareness of underreported disabilities and health conditions. Please get in touch by email if you have a story around this that you’d like to share. Email: molly.dowrick@walesonline.co.uk
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