Two men who met in the Burwood Spinal Unit, and were told they would likely never walk again, are taking on the unthinkable this month.

Tetraplegics and good mates Andrew Leslie, 51, and George Thompson, 67, will attempt to walk the Abel Tasman National Park track from March 13 – 17.

“We are doing this walk for two reasons,” says Andrew. “Firstly, this is about not only showing to ourselves that we can do it, but to others living with impairments as well.

“And we are using this walk as a platform to champion better accessibility in the outdoors. It’s a complex problem to solve, but sometimes resolving relatively small issues can make a big difference. This is a message we hope to promote through undertaking this adventure.”

The 60km undulating walk will be a huge physical challenge because of the distance, but also due to the fact they will be walking for five days straight.

It’s a long way from where they have been.

When Andrew was in the ICU, his family were told to expect him to be a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

George was told it was likely he wouldn’t walk again by the doctors at the Spinal Unit. At that stage, they never believed such a feat like walking the Abel Tasman would be possible.

“I don't think that would have even been in my head,” says George in his typical laidback manner.

“The fact that four years on from that moment, when they gave me a 20 per cent chance to walk again, that I would be walking around the bloody Abel Tasman, is quite extraordinary.” 

Andrew, left, and George in the Burwood Spinal Unit.

Since his injury in 2020, Andrew has made a habit of setting personal challenges.

In 2021 he walked back to Mākara Peak to the scene of his accident. In 2022, he ran 5km around Karori Park and last year he completed an Outward Bound course.

When he called George with the Abel Tasman idea, he did not hesitate.

“A part of this for me is to prove all the people that tell me I can't do it, that I can do it.”

Four years ago, Andrew and George’s lives changed forever.

In Levin, George broke his neck in a farming accident when he crashed his quad bike into a drain in February 2020.    

Around a month later, Andrew broke his neck in a mountain-biking accident at Mākara Peak in Wellington.

They were both lucky to survive.

“I knew it was serious straight away,” says George. “I heard the crunch in my neck when I went into the drain. I could stand for a split-second and then my legs gave way and I could feel a tingling sensation.

“I remember thinking I have got myself into the shit with my wife [Jane] here… this isn’t going to have a good end.”

George was flown to Christchurch Hospital where he was admitted to their Intensive Care Unit and was fighting for his life. He would go onto spend six months in the Burwood Spinal Unit.

While he was coming to terms with his new reality, Andrew had his mountain bike crash.

“I remember the helicopter buzzing overhead and being winched up,” he says of the fateful day on Makara Peak.  “And the rotor, and the noise and the wind through my hair as I went up to the helicopter. It is very scary to think back on.”

Leslie followed the same stressful journey through ICU and the pair met in the Burwood courtyard.

“I remember thinking straight away that this guy is a real character, and he likes to have a bit of a laugh,” says Leslie, before Thompson adds: “We hit it off straight away and have been laughing ever since.”

While the pair were learning about life with a spinal cord impairment, New Zealand was in the midst of COVID-19. The country was placed under its first ever Level 4 lockdown.

It left Andrew and George with little option but to fully commit themselves to their rehab in the gym.

ACC has played a leading role in both men’s rehabilitation.

“The ongoing support from ACC has been a real plank in my recovery,” says Andrew. “I simply wouldn’t have achieved what I have without their constant support and help.”

Thompson adds: “We don’t know how lucky we are to have a scheme like ACC. For people like us it has given us the chance to have a second crack at life.”

They never accepted the prospect that they might not walk again.

“We really pushed each other,” says George. “We both set the goal of walking out of the Burwood Spinal Unit and to achieve that feat was both incredible and surreal really.”

Andrew and George never accepted that they would never walk again. Photo: Jeremy Brick/ACC.

The constant through their time in Burwood, and now as they get ready for this challenge, has been banter.

Andrew tells a story about how George conned the Burwood nurses to keep his powerchair for the duration of his stay.

On his last day, he drove his powerchair to the exit, hopped out and walked to his car with a smile on his face.

“It's a really challenging place to be as you're coming to terms with a new reality. Laughter got us through that period, and we will be calling on that again on the Abel Tasman track.

“When things get hard, we’ll be laughing together.”

They are looking forward to celebrating completing one of New Zealand’s Great Walks with a cold beer.

And they wanted to share some advice for any people who have had a spinal cord impairment and are at the start of their journey.

“Keep your chin up,” says George. “I'm absolutely amazed what progress I have made, but you can't do that without the support of your wife, my physio… Say thanks to the people around you.”

Andrew adds: “You need to know that big things in life are still possible. If you have a dream and a vision in your head, and you really believe in that, then these things are achievable.”