Dan builds up to fulfil a dream (From Basingstoke Gazette)

Dan builds up to fulfil a dream

7:00am Thursday 13th August 2009 in

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IT was almost three years ago that Dan Smith’s life was changed forever.

The amateur bodybuilder was installing an air conditioning unit in a factory roof in London when he slipped and fell through a skylight. The 33-year-old fell more than 20ft on to a concrete floor, landing on his feet and shattering one of his vertebrae.

He spent the next six months in intensive rehabilitation at hospital.

The father of one was left unable to move his feet and has no feeling from the knees down. He can walk short distances with a pair of crutches, but is essentially confined to a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

Undeterred by the setback, Dan started training at the gym several times a week in a bid to follow his dream of becoming a professional bodybuilder.

Now it looks like the dream could become a reality after he was offered a guest spot at the UK’s biggest bodybuilding competition this October.

At present there are no wheelchair categories at the UK Bodybuilding Fitness Federation (UKBFF), like there are in similar competitions in America.

But Dan has his heart firmly set on introducing the UK’s first wheelchair category – and he also wants to win it.

This month, the full-time body builder was given a welcome boost in fulfilling his dream by landing a sponsorship deal with bodybuilding giants CNP.

Dan, of Four Marks, near Alton, said: “To start with I would have given anything to walk again. But so many doors have been opened to me. I also have a lot more time to spend with my wife and our relationship has developed. My life is brilliant. To be fair, it’s the best thing that has happened to me and I would not change it for the world.

“After the accident I got out of hospital and had to deal with the fact that I was in a wheelchair. It made me more determined to start bodybuilding again. It is my life now and I enjoy it so much.”

Dan’s dream of becoming a professional bodybuilder began in April, 2004, when he came fifth in first timers competition in Portsmouth. The accident happened while he was taking time off from competing to increase his size.

After training for more than two years in his wheelchair he was offered a guest slot by organisers at the UKBFF event in Portsmouth last April. Dan snapped up the chance and showed off his incredible physique for three minutes in front of hundreds of spectators.

He said: “I got a full standing ovation. I was crying at the end as they gave me a big trophy, which I knew nothing about. All the hard work had paid off.

“Since then it’s gone mad. About three days after that I got a call from the competition organiser Paul Smith saying they wanted me to do a guest slot at the British finals in October, too. Once I have done this I can go to the federation and see if we can get a category for wheelchair users. I’m halfway there. I’m putting everything I have into my training and would like to be the first professional wheelchair bodybuilder in the UK. That’s my ultimate goal but without a category it’s impossible.

“They have a category in America but I want to stay here and get it recognised in this country.”

Dan also hopes to open his own wheelchair accessible gym.

He added: “There are still so many things I can do in a wheelchair. You can do anything if you put your mind to it.”

The UKBFF final will be held in Nottingham on October 17 and 18.