Blair

Blair Taylor - SCI Australia Ambassador

Blair Taylor was living life to the full; he had found his life partner, had a job he enjoyed and was involved in an active social and recreational life.  All that changed when he didn’t wait for his workmate to hold his ladder.  Everything he had built in his life came crashing down.

Blair grew up in New Zealand and had led an active sporting life from an early age.  He shared his time between the inevitable Rugby Union commitments with a host of water activities including scuba diving, fishing and water skiing.  Carpentry became his focus once leaving school and he completed a four year apprenticeship before embarking on a career that took him around New Zealand, out into the Pacific nations and finally to Sydney during the building boom leading up to the 2000 Olympic Games.

Finding Clare and moving in together was the culmination of a list of highs in his new life across the Tasman; great job, great friends, great relationship.  Blair’s life was perfect!

The day of his accident Blair headed off to work as usual, kissing Clare goodbye and promising to see her that evening.  Arriving at work, Blair and a mate were sent to complete a minor repair on some outside lining four metres up.  After an initial inspection, Blair’s mate drove off to buy the required materials and Blair prepared the tools.  Having completed the preparations but his mate not yet returned,  Blair felt self-conscious under the gaze of the owner.  He climbed the ladder without his mate there to steady it.

Blair’s next memory was lying face down in a pool of blood.  The ladder had slipped out from under him and Blair had landed on his feet with his knees locked.  The weight of his head had compressed his spine and a piece of vertebrae had sheared off and severed his spinal cord.

A helicopter flight to Royal North Shore Hospital was followed by extensive surgery and months of rehabilitation made all the harder by the ending of the relationship with Clare; they agreed to go their separate ways.  Following this setback, Blair threw himself into his rehabilitation and finally was ready to rejoin the outside world.  Securing accommodation through SCI Australia, Blair at first hid away from society until his thirst for companionship drew him to the nearest accessible hotel.

Blair never looked back and now shares his story to workers across Australia and he has even appeared on New Zealand TV. As Blair says; "If I can prevent just one injury by sharing my story then it is all worthwhile".