I was paralyzed at 19 – now I’m an athlete and just qualified as a doctor

A “brilliant” medical student from Coventry who was left paralyzed from the waist down after falling from a tree has fulfilled his dream of becoming a doctor.

Xander Van der Poll, then 19, suffered life-changing injuries when he fell from an old oak tree in Lavender Hall Park, Balsall Common, Solihull, while walking his dogs near his family home , in 2018.

The fall resulted in a ten-foot fall onto tree roots, causing a broken back and a punctured lung. After a grueling nine-hour surgery and four months in hospital, the former rugby fan faced a new reality.

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Now, seven years later, he has proudly graduated from the University of Bristol as Dr Van der Poll and is set to combine his medical career with training for the 2028 Paralympics.

Dr Van der Poll, now 25 and serving in A&E at a Birmingham hospital, reflected on the incident: “It really did a number on me.”

He shared his initial fears after the accident: “You don’t expect it to happen to you. I was in incredible pain for several weeks and was very worried about all the things I wouldn’t be able to do. I can’t be a doctor, play rugby or just have a normal life.”

His recovery was supported by the support of his family, with his mother a constant presence: “I was very lucky to have my family around me. My mother was by my side every day.”

In a remarkable display of determination, he sat his first-year medicals from his hospital bed just six weeks after the accident, facilitated by the University of Bristol, who sent him a supervisor.

Since then, the university has praised Dr Van der Poll, who has not only excelled academically, earning an achievement award, but has also thrived in various para-sports, including athletics, rowing and basketball.

He eventually took up canoeing and now competes in a va’a, a traditional Polynesian one-person, double-hulled boat, which has become his vessel of choice in paracanoeing.

Dr Van der Poll shared: “People’s opinions are actually far more debilitating than your actual disability.”

“People told me all kinds of things after the accident. During a medical placement, a doctor sat me down and listed all the things I couldn’t do.”

“The funny thing was that the list was based on assumptions and none of the assumptions were actually true.”

He also noted that hospitals are generally quite affordable and praised Bristol Uni for its support in promoting independence.

“Being in a wheelchair breaks down a lot of barriers between doctor and patient, it humanizes me. When I walk into the room, it disarms people. I’ve never had anyone doubt my abilities.”

Dr Van der Poll recently missed the final of his first European Championships by just 0.2 seconds and is now setting his sights on the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.

He and his wife, Kirsty Van der Poll, herself an amputee, run the Instagram account @ourchaoticadventure, sharing their journey with over 11,500 followers to challenge the stigma surrounding disability.

“It shows us to live each day as if it were our last and as if it were a gift,” he further commented.

Kirsty Van der Poll achieved fourth place at the ISA Para Surfing World Championships in California last November and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Physiotherapy.

Married in June, the couple who live near Coventry enjoyed their honeymoon in the Philippines.

Professor Chrissie Thirlwell from the University of Bristol said: “Xander was a really talented medical student and will undoubtedly become a brilliant doctor. We can all learn from him.”

“I look forward to seeing what he does next and hope to cheer him on at the 2028 Paralympics.”

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