Henrietta Paxton, a mother of two and former Scottish pole vaulter, came face to face with a nightmarish scenario. In May of this year, the 41-year-old was squatting in the gym during one of her routine workouts. However, only one thing was out of place, and those were the safety racks. “I have every other time I’ve squatted up until I started using this particular gym,” the former athlete said in the aftermath of the accident.

The former pole vaulter was squatting a heavy 264.5 lbs (120 kg) and tried her best to control the barbell. Unfortunately, the massive weight shifted and fell on her back as the former athlete lurched forward. “I heard and felt my back break,” recalled Paxton, as per The Sun. However, Paxton is now looking for donations to help her bounce back by making some major life changes.

In an exclusive interview with The Times, the former athlete explained that she is already contemplating a career change. “My career never really went the way I dreamed of it going. But the thing I’m most proud of is exactly that: my tenacity, the ability to keep picking myself up and keep coming back,” she told The Times. In fact, Paxton is already playing para-badminton.

Just months after surgery, she got back in the gym. While she could only work on her upper body, Paxton practiced and recently participated in the Inter-Spinal Unit Games. She didn’t just participate; she also won the para-badminton title. However, the mother of two needs a lot of funding to support this growth.

Following the accident, doctors rushed Henrietta Paxton to the surgery room to stabilize her spine. They fused five of the star athlete’s vertebrae, and while it stabilized her spine, the accident left the 41-year-old paralyzed from the waist down. Now, despite progressing, Paxton faces several challenges that require more than resilience to overcome.

Why the former pole vaulter is asking for nearly $300,000

Unlike many GoFundMe-style campaigns, the two-time Commonwealth Games competitor has been transparent with how exactly she plans to spend £230,000 ($298,057). “We are aiming to raise money for three separate areas – rehabilitation, home improvements, and innovative Spinal cord injury (SCI) treatments in addition to the rehab,” read Paxton’s fundraiser page.

Six weeks after her initial surgery at Southampton General, she moved to the Salisbury Spinal Treatment Centre. This is where Henrietta Paxton continues to undergo rehab under expert supervision. However, the private clinic costs “£1000-£6000 per week,” and the Paxton aims to spend 12 weeks in rehab, driving up the potential cost to £80,000 ($103,672).

Then comes the renovation costs. Since the former pole vaulter can no longer walk, simply moving around in her home has become a challenge for Paxton. Unfortunately, her quality of life will continue to suffer unless the para-badminton champion makes significant adaptations. That means “a further £100,000 ($129,590) to make the whole house fully accessible.”

Finally, we come to the ‘novel treatments’ section of the fundraiser page. While chances of Paxton ever walking again are slim to none, the 41-year-old hopes to give it her best shot. The former competitive athlete has defied the odds in her pole vaulting career. “I’m of the mindset that if you don’t think there’s any way forward, there’s not going to be,” Paxton told The Times.

However, the SCI treatments will also require a significant sum of around £50,000 ($64,795). Currently, 556 contributors have helped Henrietta Paxton raise £53,114, or 23% of her goal at the time of writing this. So only time will tell if the former Scottish athlete will meet her lofty goals.