Car victim’s shot at glory
Brave Callum to compete at Games
A man who survived two car crashes, a coma, losing his leg and even Covid-19 has been selected to represent Team GB at the upcoming Winter Paralympics.
When Callum Deboys woke from a month-long coma in 2017 following a road accident, his left leg had been amputated.
Years of graft ensued for the 25-year-old chef to fulfil his dream of racing with Nordic skiers at the 2022 Beijing games.
And that dream was almost dust when he was involved in a second serious crash in October 2021. But even a bout of deadly Covid-19 after his recovery couldn’t lead the star skier off piste when weeks later he secured a coveted place on the GB squad.
Callum, from Prestwick, will take part in arduous cross country and biathlon events on the world stage this month.
He said: “I thought I’d never make it. Looking at what I’ve come through is amazing. I can’t wait to get to China.”
In 2017, aged 21, Callum’s motorbike crashed with a car while he was en route to work in Girvan. He suffered a ruptured diaphragm, punctured lung, two injured vertebrae, femur damage in his left leg and a broken right leg. Doctors prepared his parents,Richard and Bridget, both in their
50s, and sister Abigail, 28, for the worst as he was put in an induced coma and had his left leg amputated. Thankfully, one month later, he came out of the coma. But his goal was almost in tatters four years later after a second horror crash last October when his bike crashed with a car in Ayr.
He revealed: “I broke my nose and tore my tricep tendon off the bone, the pain was excruciating.”
Hope was not lost for fighter Callum who recovered after 10 weeks of physio and could race in Norway in January to help secure a Team GB spot.His place was confirmed via email last week.
He added: “I might not win any medals out in China but just competing will be amazing.”