Corbin's story: From losing a leg to a new lease on life
Video transcript for Corbin Hart: From losing a leg to a new lease on life
Visual:
Close-up on Corbin Hart training on a kayak machine. Cuts to a close-up of his prosthetic leg before moving out to a wide shot of him training. Cuts to Corbin sitting on his couch at home.
Transcript:
Corbin: “My life changed like that” *clicks fingers*.
Visual:
Corbin sits on a bench in the gym, smiling at the camera.
Transcript:
Corbin: “My life before my accident was a lot different to what it is now”
Visual:
Cuts to drone shot of three kayaks lining up on a lake, they paddle through the water.
Transcript:
Corbin: “It’s better now than it was”.
Visual:
Wide shot of Corbin paddling in his kayak on the lake.
Transcript:
Corbin: “I was working six, seven days a week. Long hours.”
Visual:
Cuts back to Corbin on his couch at home
Transcript:
Corbin: “Spending my time not wisely, not efficiently.”
Visual:
Cuts to a wide shot of Corbin holding his kayak on a pontoon. Words appear on screen, they read: “Corbin Hart, 26. Para athlete”
Transcript:
“Corbin: “Gidday, I’m Corbin Hart, I’m 26. In December, 2019 I lost my leg to a workplace injury.”
Visual:
Close-up on Corbin smiling at the camera with his paddle just beside him. Cuts back to Corbin on the couch.
Transcript:
Corbin: “The day of my accident, I was working up North.”
Visual:
Aerial shot of a digger about to load up rocks into the back of a dump truck on a construction site. Cuts to a close-up of the dump truck wheel turning.
Transcript:
Corbin: “I was just packing up, and uhh, just having a look at the machiner.”
Visual:
Cuts to close-up of a digger scoop lifting dirt. Cuts back to the dump truck wheel moving.
Transcript:
Corbin: “I was just cleaning it up, ended up slipping over and my foot got stuck and ripped to bits.”
Visual:
Cuts back to Corbin on his couch at home.
Transcript:
Corbin: “It was going from ‘I think I’m dead’, to just wanting it to be gone, so I wasn’t going to get dragged in more and the pain was going to ease. So we took off my t-shirt and tied it around my leg.”
Visual:
Cuts to a close-up of the steering wheel of construction machinery.
Transcript:
Corbin: “I got these two other people, I think I told them ‘just pull it as hard as you can until it feels like it’s gonna fall off’.”
Visual:
Cuts to a blurred shot of a rescue chopper descending towards the ground. Cuts back to Corbin on the couch at home.
Transcript:
Corbin: “I don’t think I could leave, like my family and my missus behind.”
Visual:
Camera pans across shots of photo frames of Corbin and his girlfriend. Cuts to helicopter rotor spinning.
Transcript:
Corbin: “I was there and I was thinking ‘I’ve gotta do everything I can’, and I just thought ‘Nah I’m gonna fight as hard as I can’.”
Visual:
Cuts to close-up of Corbin looking up to the sky on his local beach. Words appear on-screen, they read: “Corbin came through the ordeal and was rushed to hospital by helicopter”. Cuts back to Corbin at home at his dining room table.
Transcript:
Corbin: “Yeah I got out of hospital a week later. Many a trip to the doctors because the nerve pain was insane.”
Visual:
Cuts to close-up of Corbin looking through photos on the table. He picks one up of him on his hospital bed, with a fresh bandage over the scar on what’s left of his right leg where they have amputated the damaged limb.
Transcript:
Corbin: “It was just like, excruciating.”
Visual:
Cuts to close-ups on images of his scar on his leg with staples still over it, and an image of him giving an a-ok sign on his hospital bed.
Transcript:
Corbin: “There was, just nothing could help.”
Visual:
Close-up on Corbin eyes as he looks at the photos. Cuts back to Corbin on his couch.
Transcript:
Corbin: “Physically, like, I won’t do anything now that I know I can’t do.”
Visual:
Cuts to Corbin picking up a fishing rod from his collection. Camera zooms in on him picking one up, then zooms out to show him walking out of his garage.
Transcript:
Corbin: “It was, just…”
Visual:
Cuts to Corbin putting a meal in the microwave. Cuts to him drinking water and stirring his food.
Transcript:
Corbin: “…trying to adjust to like the little things, you know. Sitting in the shower…”
Visual:
Camera cuts to a visual of his stool in the shower that he uses to was himself.
Transcript:
Corbin: “…like having a shower stool to shower now, that’s what you’ve gotta do.”
Visual:
Cuts to a wide shot of his toilet, showing the bar he uses to pull himself up.
Transcript:
Corbin: “I’m not sad that I’ve lost my leg, but it’s just the little things that you used to be able to do”.
Visual:
Cuts to a close-up on Corbin’s prosthetic leg, then moves to show him playing on a gaming console on the couch.
Transcript:
Corbin: “Sometimes they weigh you down unexpectedly.”
Visual:
Cuts to shot of Corbin sitting down in the gym. Words appear on-screen, they read: “ACC played a leading role in Corbin’s rehabilitation, including physical and financial support”. Camera cuts back to Corbin on his couch at home.
Transcript:
Corbin: “It’s been really good.”
Visual:
Cuts to Corbin standing up with his prosthetic leg to put it on.
Transcript:
Corbin: “So the leg I’ve got now, I was meant to get in two years time, and I got it in six months.”
Visual:
Cuts to Corbin paddling in his kayak on the lake.
Transcript:
Corbin: “Because I was so active and driven. But they’re really good you know, they noticed that and they saw that. That I was willing.
Visual:
Cuts to Corbin getting out of his kayak with his special sports prosthetic leg on.
Transcript:
Corbin: “And then they’ve supported me with a kayaking leg for my kayak. Yeah, I’m very grateful that you know, I’m not going to have to pay for these for the rest of my life.”
Visual:
Camera cuts to Corbin standing on the beach. Words appear on-screen, they read: “Corbin is now a top-class kayaker and represents New Zealand on the world stage.” Camera cuts back to Corbin paddling on the water.
Transcript:
Corbin: “It’s almost a year since I jumped in the kayak. I like the water, and being outside so I decided to represent my country in the 2020 Paralympics in Tokyo.
Visual:
Cuts to Corbin training with a tension band in the gym.
Transcript:
Corbin: “The training is always hard, but the intensity has a bit more meaning behind it now.”
Visual:
Camera zooms out to show Corbin with his trainer, before zooming into a close-up of his face tensing up with the training regiment.
Transcript:
Corbin: “I want to be the best, and I don’t like to do things by halves.”
Visual:
Cuts to Corbin doing push-ups with his trainer. Camera shows him doing different aspects of his workout training on gym equipment.
Transcript:
Corbin: “I guess just the team that I have that I work with everyday, I’m surrounded by people that are constantly striving for greatness.”
Visual:
Cuts back to Corbin on the couch at home.
Transcript:
Corbin: “This is a big part of my positive mindset. It’s finding a new purpose and a new meaning and it actually gets you out of bed.”
Visual:
Camera cuts to Corbin walking on a Hibiscus Coast beach.
Transcript:
Corbin: “You know, you’re not feeling sorry for yourself and it’s more I’m just trying to value my life.”
Visual:
Camera zooms in on Corbin wearing sunglasses.
Transcript:
Corbin: “It’s more I’m just trying to value my life and what I’ve actually got.”
Visual:
Cuts to Corbin holding his kayak on the side of a lake.
Transcript:
Corbin: “I’m more grateful for the things that I have now. Just ‘cause I’ve got one leg, doesn’t mean anything.
Visual:
Cuts to Corbin paddling on the lake again.
Transcript:
Corbin: “You’ve got to find something good out of it and sport definitely does that.”
Visual:
Corbin smiles to the camera in his kayak. The screen fades to blue. White words appear onscreen.
Prevention. Care. Recovery. ACC Logo appears with a line saying learn more at acc.co.nz.
After losing his leg in a life-changing ordeal, Corbin Hart never lost his determination. Now, he's about to take on the world wearing the Silver Fern.
Corbin Hart is lying alone on a remote country road and staring death in the face. He has just lost most of his right leg after it was caught in machinery.
In shock, he is struggling to come to terms with what has just happened and knows these could be his last moments.
But his thoughts then turn to his loved ones. He’s never been a quitter and he doesn’t want to leave them behind.
So he snaps out of his stunned state. With adrenaline pulsing through his veins, he tears his t-shirt off, wraps it around what’s left of his leg and pulls as hard as he can.
He then grabs his phone from his pocket, dials 111 and screams down the line for help.
By now, a couple of work mates have arrived at Corbin’s side. They help secure his makeshift tourniquet and a helicopter soon touches down to whisk him to hospital.
Corbin may have lost his leg but his quick thinking has saved his life. And he intends to make the most of it.
A fresh perspective
“My life before my accident was a lot different to what it is now – it’s actually a lot better now,” Corbin says.
Far from wallowing in self-pity, Corbin has a new lease on life.
“Back then, I was working six or seven days a week – long hours, away from home a lot – and spending my time not wisely or efficiently. My life was all about working and trying to get ahead but now it’s all flipped around,” he says.
“Money is not a huge thing to me at the moment and it’s more about just trying to value my life and what I’ve actually got. I’m a lot more grateful for the things I have now than when I was able bodied.”
Back from the brink
Now focusing his energy on becoming a world-class kayaker, the 26-year-old is about to represent his country at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games this month.
It’s a remarkable achievement for someone who came so close to an early death just 18 months ago.
He could never have imagined the prospect of gunning for sporting glory as he lay fighting for his life.
A road construction worker, Corbin was cleaning up for the day at a site just north of Auckland when he lost his footing at a fateful moment and his leg got dragged into a machine.
“I almost gave up and was like, ‘This is it, I’m done’,” he says.
“But then I thought of my family and my girlfriend – that was my main driver. I’m not one to give up so I just said to myself, ‘Nah, I’m going to fight and do everything I can to survive’.”
Taking on a new challenge
Having come through such a horrific ordeal, he was still faced with the brutal reality his life had changed forever.
But he chose to adopt a positive mindset and view his misfortune as an opportunity to take on a new challenge.
“It didn’t really bother me that I had no leg, I was just keen to carry on with life and get out of hospital as soon as I could,” he says.
“The nerve pain was insane but I actually told them it wasn’t that bad so I could get out earlier. I was only in hospital for a week and that month after leaving probably hurt more than losing my leg – the nerve pain was excruciating and nothing could help.”
As part of his recovery, Corbin was paired with a psychologist by ACC and that’s when the Paralympics dream was born.
“I remember him saying, ‘If you had died, would you be happy with the life you had led? What would make you happy now?’
“I thought about that and realised it would be cool to go to the Paralympics – to do something different, extreme or challenging.”
Like a duck to water
Long-time friend Caitlin Regal (née Ryan) happened to be an Olympian kayaker and she encouraged Corbin to give it a go.
A former surf ski racer in his teens, Corbin loves the water and took quickly to his new-found passion.
He was the only Para paddler in his first competitive race and beat all his able-bodied rivals. He then qualified for the Paralympics at a regatta in Hungary in May – under a year since he first sat in a kayak.
With Tokyo now just around the corner, he is currently putting his body through a gruelling daily routine of gym workouts and paddling sessions on the water.
Driving the 40-minute journey in a modified vehicle from his Red Beach home to training on Auckland’s North Shore at least twice a day also take its toll.
But Corbin wouldn’t have it any other way. “I want to be the best and I don’t like to do things by halves,” he says.
“The training is always hard and the intensity is even greater now there’s a bit more meaning behind it. But I still don’t find it hard to get out of bed in the morning. I won’t think about stopping until it becomes a chore and I’m like, ‘Man, I don’t really want to go to the lake and paddle again today’.”
Turning dreams into reality
The support of ACC and modern prosthesis technology have both played a key role in getting Corbin to Tokyo.
He now has a state-of-the-art ‘smart’ knee which is among the first of its kind to duplicate natural movement. He has also been provided with another leg specially designed for kayaking.
“This knee is so expensive – I’d hate to know how much it would cost to pay for out of your own pocket,” Corbin admits.
“I’m very grateful that I’m not going to have to pay for these for the rest of my life. I’m such a young age that it would cost a lot of money in the future.”
But ACC provided far more than just his prosthetic legs.
Medical costs were taken care of and Corbin was also supported with financial compensation, social rehabilitation, occupational therapy and counselling.
He says this was all a huge help in his return to leading an independent and fulfilling life.
Getting back to work
Corbin has no plans to hang up his paddle after the Paralympics but will have to juggle his sporting commitments with a return to fulltime work.
Just what form that will take is still up in the air but, in keeping with his determined nature, Corbin is keen to get back to fulltime employment as soon as possible.
Such strength of character is likely to prove an asset to any employer, regardless of the type of work he ends up doing.
“I know I won’t be able to do what I used to because it’s just too much for someone with one leg to walk around and do all those things. So I may have to upskill myself in other areas,” he says.
“But I just want to focus on what I’m doing at the moment and then worry about work after the Paralympics.”
During 2020 there were
and there were also
Having a Hmmm
Corbin is far from alone in suffering an injury at the workplace.
There were 66 workplace fatalities in New Zealand during 2020, while over 30,000 work-related injuries resulted in more than a week away from work from September 2019 to August 2020.
As someone who nearly lost everything while trying to do his job, Corbin has some wise advice for staying safe – whether that be at work, home or out doing the things you love.
“Everyone should have a second thought about everything they do. You’re not a cat, you don’t have nine lives,” he says.
“My life changed in an instant and the same thing can happen to anyone else.
“You could be driving, walking, not looking when you’re crossing the road or on your phone. You have to think about what could go wrong and put yourself first – everything else can wait.”
ACC Workplace Safety Manager Virginia Burton-Konia says both employers and employees have a key role to play in New Zealanders staying safe at work.
“We want every New Zealander to go home safely at the end of their work day and it can be as easy as taking a moment to think about the risks on site." she says.
“But employers also have a responsibility to make sure their health and safety measures are robust and that all steps are being taken to prevent injury. Many workplace injuries are preventable and we’re encouraging all New Zealanders to ‘Have a hmmm’.”
The power of sport in rehabilitation
ACC believes participation in Para sport has a positive impact on wellbeing and rehabilitation, and Corbin couldn’t agree more.
“I think it’s been a big part of my positive mindset – finding a new purpose, a new meaning and all of those things,” he says.
“It gets you out of bed and means you’re not sitting around feeling sorry for yourself. If you’re only young like me, imagine sitting around and feeling sorry for yourself for the next 50 years or so – I just didn’t want to do that.
“You’ve got to find something good out of it and sport definitely does that.”
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 wish New Zealand’s Para athletes every success as they work towards the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, which take place from 24 August to 5 September 2021.
