DANIEL Edwards' life changed forever two years ago, when a day trip to the seaside with team mates from his rugby club went horribly wrong.

The 30-year-old was paralysed from the chest down after shattering a vertebra.

He had dived into the sea, but despite appearances to the contrary, the water turned out to be only knee deep.

A year in hospitals - Southmead in Bristol, the Royal Gwent in Newport, and Rookwood in Cardiff - followed, before he went home to Tredegar, in a wheelchair, to a house adapted to suit his needs, and with personal assistants to help him.

And that may have been it - but Mr Edwards has made such remarkable progress since beginning to attend a spinal cord injury rehabilitation centre in Bristol, called Neurokinex, that he his dispensed with his personal assistants and regular visits from a district nurse.

Regaining 100 per cent independence seemed an impossible goal after his accident at Weston-super-Mare on August 13 2016, during a day trip with team mates from Trefil RFC.

Upon hitting the seabed after his ill-fated dive, he shattered his C5 vertebra and was immediately paralysed. Face down in the water, he managed to hold his breath until his cousin lifted him to safety.

Mr Edwards was rushed to Southmead Hospital, and had 14 hours of surgery to graft bone from his pubic bone to replace his broken vertebra, but was left paralysed from the chest down.

Transferred to the Royal Gwent, he had two months of flat bed rest before a further transfer, to the spinal cord injury rehabilitation centre at Rookwood Hospital in Cardiff, where he spent 10 months undergoing physiotherapy and rehabilitation, ahead of returning home.

“My family has been so supportive and helped fundraise to pay for the adaptations. I can’t thank them or the local community enough for helping me out with this,” said Mr Edwards, who also has warm words for girlfriend Katie.

“She has been by my side all the way and without her love and support things would have been so much harder to bear.”

They bought a dog, nine-month old silver Labrador called Hendrix, to keep Mr Edwards company at home during the day and to encourage him to get up and out.

However, he was already plotting a long, hard road out of his dependence on outside help.

While recuperating at Rookwood his aunt heard about Neurokinex, a new spinal cord injury rehabilitation centre in Bristol, which focuses on activity-based rehabilitation.

Working below the point of injury, staff get clients out of their wheelchairs to work in a standing position to promote core strength, improve bone density and boost circulation.

Mr Edwards could not wait to get started. In September last year he began working with Neurokinex centre manager Edward Baker.

“From the moment I went into Neurokinex it felt different from any of the other rehab treatment centres,” said Mr Edwards.

“The atmosphere is upbeat and positive and feels more like a gym than a clinic.

"They were quick to assess my ability and within the first session had me standing upright and supported, while I did key exercises. It was a revelation.

“I regained more mobility and strength in three months at Neurokinex than I had since my injury a year earlier.

“My upper body and core strength returned quickly and that significantly boosted my ability to do more for myself and become more independent.”

Mr Edwards goes to Neurokinex twice a week for one-hour sessions, alternating upper and lower limb work, and has seen extensive improvements, particularly in his core strength.

“A key difference with Neurokinex is they are working below the point of my injury, seeking to stimulate nerve and muscle activity in my lower body. The improvement in my full body strength and lower limbs is immense and I see improvements every week.

“Being fit as a rugby player and physically very active, I think it helped my body deal with the accident and surgery.

“I also have a competitive and positive mind-set which is absolutely matched by Edward and the team at Neurokinex. They really push me and push my body.

"It’s tough going and the challenges keep changing. They simply set no limits and that’s exactly what I respond to.”

Mr Edwards' phenomenal progress included his regaining movement in his right leg, unresponsive until November last year. By last May he began to move it on command again.

The following month, he dispensed with his personal care assistants and now is living independently.

“I no longer need the district nurse to visit or the personal assistants. I can use the bathroom, shower, dress, feed and drive myself,” said Mr Edwards.

Mr Baker said Mr Edwards' mental attitude has been integral to his progress.

“In Daniel’s sessions we do as much work as possible in standing, to give his lower body the stimulation it needs,” said Mr Baker.

“We work his trunk and legs in every session, using a lot of variety and getting him standing using different methods so that his spinal cord continues to adapt.

"He is stoic, courageous and calm, and applies himself consistently to each new challenge.

“He has never once complained, despite facing the inevitable stumbling blocks that come with a spinal injury. He just turns up and gets on with it, and the rewards have appeared, month by month.

"It is a personal and professional privilege to work with someone so dedicated and with so much potential. Daniel’s story is inspiring for people everywhere living with paralysis."