Aaron's story: Finding hope after a traumatic crash

Aaron Ewen is sitting in the snow at the top of Mt Ruapehu and the feeling is hard to put into words.

Only six months after suffering a life-changing injury – and hearing those unforgettable words ‘You’ll never walk again’ – it’s an emotional experience to be in this environment. 

For the first time since his injury, he feels free.

“When I first turned up to the mountain it was unreal,” says the happy-go-lucky 24-year-old. “The fresh air, looking at the view, all of that, it was such a great experience for me.

“But man I sucked. My mate spent the whole time picking me off the ground. Cheers to Cole. It probably wasn’t the best day for him.”

He left the mountain feeling sore and deflated. But that day ignited Aaron’s love for sit-skiing and there was much more to come.

ACC has played a leading role in his rehabilitation. He now lives an independent and positive life.

“I made a silly mistake”

As a teenager Aaron was a promising mountain-biker.

In February 2013, shortly after his 16th birthday, he suffered a huge crash at one of the national rounds, sustaining a spinal cord injury which left him without movement in his legs.

He was at a race in the Hunua Ranges in Auckland. He was tired and he had a preventable crash.  

“It was towards the end of the practice day and I made a silly mistake,” he says. “I ended up wrapping myself around a tree.”

Aaron was lying prone on the trails.  He was scared and in shock.  He knew he’d suffered a major injury and he couldn’t move.

He was taken by ambulance to Middlemore Hospital where he spent six days before being transferred to the Auckland Spinal Unit in Otara for a five week stay.

“They helped me with physio and adapting to life in a wheelchair which was mean, but I was still pretty determined that I was going to walk again.”

“A turning point in my rehab”

The first thing Aaron noticed when he arrived at the Auckland Spinal Unit was that he was youngest person in the Unit by some distance.

He felt fortunate that he was only in hospital for such a short time as it meant he could get straight into the physiotherapy and try to make some gains.

“Most people lose everything and have to start from scratch,” he says.

“I was quite lucky with the whole rehab situation because I hadn’t lost too much muscle and body weight. Usually you spend more time in hospital and you waste away. That made the physio a lot easier and I didn’t have to rebuild the muscle.”

His physical development wasn’t the only rehabilitation going on. He was also taking on the mental battle.

For a young man who had been fit and active his whole life, it was hard to accept he’d be in a wheelchair going forward.

“I needed to stop being in denial that it was going to get better. About five weeks in I was still like ‘I am definitely going to walk again’,” he says.

“It’s a weird one. Most injuries you can see an end point but this one there is no end point. 

“Half a year went by and my old man told me you have got to accept that it is what it is and move on, otherwise you are going to be stuck in the same place. That was a turning point I guess.”

Aaron encouraged anyone going through the rehab from a major injury to take their time.

“I still have the record of fastest out [of the Spinal Unit] which is sick, that’s my claim to fame,” he says with a laugh.

“But I definitely struggled when I left and got back home. I needed more time.” 

Helping Aaron get back to living life

Aaron believes New Zealanders take ACC for granted.

“We are bloody lucky to have ACC in New Zealand,” he says. “I’ve been overseas to America and other countries where they don’t have the same system. I’ve met people in a wheelchair who are really struggling financially, and it affects their health.”

Aaron says the list of support the organisation provided him has been extensive.

ACC covered his surgery, his hospital stays, his time in the Spinal Unit and medical fees and continuous help with supplies, wheelchair equipment and home modifications.

“ACC has been unreal. Without it I would be screwed. There is no way that I could afford the medical bills and supplies that I need to live every week in a wheelchair.

“They have also bought me a car as well to help me get up the mountain which has been unreal. It is a 4WD which I have needed this season.”

He says that support has enabled him to give the sport of sit-skiing his 100 percent commitment.

Finding a new passion

One day, Aaron got a call from Cole, a mate from mountain-biking. He said we’re going skiing at Turoa this weekend and you’re coming too’.

Aaron had a ski lesson and his new passion was born. “Thanks heaps to that family that did that for me,” Aaron says.

It was important that he wasn’t treated any differently following his injury.  His good friends still took him everywhere and didn’t bubble wrap him. His parents were the same.

“That helped heaps. I was treated just like everybody else.”

Sport has always been a big part of Aaron’s life. He needed to fill that void. He stayed positive by keeping active and hanging out with mates.

“I wasn’t positive all of the time,” he laughs.  “The longer the rehab went on, the better it got. Finding sports and hanging out with mates proved to be huge for me.”

Aaron moved to Wanaka for the 2015 ski season. He spent a few months at Cardrona Alpine Resort mastering the sit-ski.

Flying the Kiwi flag

Fast forward to 2022 and Aaron is on his way to the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games.

It was a hugely proud moment to be named alongside Paralympians Adam Hall and Corey Peters.

“I was stoked to be named in the New Zealand team and represent the Kiwis overseas,” he says.  “Hopefully we do New Zealand proud.”  

Aaron loves everything about the sport.

“Skiing is a fully independent sport where you can drive up the mountain do it by yourself and then drive home which is what I love – it’s full freedom.”

He recommends anyone who has sustained a spinal cord impairment to look into para sport.

“It’s been massive for me.  Skiing is the one if you are getting into para sport. Get into it and don’t look back.”

ACC and Paralympics New Zealand

• We’re proud to be a community partner of Paralympics New Zealand.
• We believe participation in Para sport has a positive impact on wellbeing and rehabilitation.
• Our aim is to motivate and inspire people to lead active lives, through positive role models and opportunities to try Para sport – at any level
• There are several regional disability sport and recreation organisations around New Zealand, which are called Parafeds. Some national sports organisations also offer Para sport.
• More information and a full list of Parafeds and other Para sport providers is available on the Paralympics New Zealand website.

We'd like to thank Aaron Ewen for sharing his story with us. We wish New Zealand’s Para athletes every success for the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games from 4 – 13 March.