Now getting "back to life" is my athletic goal. Even though this piece has taken me nearly four weeks to write - under the close eye of my speech therapist and my sports editor - I am confident I will one day fulfil my career capabilities, if not my sporting ones.

Meantime, jokes are welcome; if I don't laugh, I'll cry. One of my favourite sayings is "learn to laugh at yourself and you'll be constantly amused".

Take my Dad; he sometimes calls me Cyclops - and I'll answer to it. Isn't laughter the best medicine?

Those qualities I had as an athlete - determination, persistence, stubbornness and a strong work ethic - can now be put into my recovery. As much time and effort goes into my rehab as if it were my Olympic training program, with a far greater reward. Regardless of my athletic "head-start", this could not have been done without the support of my loving family and partner. They have gone through almost as much of an ordeal as I have. And thanks to you, the readers, who wrote to the Sunday Mail after my crash. I have read it all and it helped a lot.