‘It felt amazing to be on the start line again’: the rugby pro who became paralysed – and is aiming for the Paralympic Games

Taylor Gough: ‘I’d gone from being this big, tough rugby player who could do anything to someone who needed help to get off the sofa.’ Photograph: Mark Chilvers/The Guardian

From the age of 16, Taylor Gough’s body was a finely tuned machine. A professional rugby player who came up through the youth team at Leicester Tigers, his weeks revolved around training: heavy weights, tactical drills, contact sessions, cardio. “My body served a purpose and I ate to fuel it.”

Then, aged 20, he woke up in hospital unable to move or talk. “I had to mime to the nurse, ‘What happened?’ And it was during Covid – I didn’t have any family there, which made it 10 times worse.”