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'I hope that I have his power somewhere in me'

Daisy Stephens
BBC News
BBC A woman with long dark hair and wearing a black leather jacket, standing on a rugby pitch and smiling at the camera. It's a sunny day and the sky is blue.BBC
Georgina Baker is completing 12 hikes in 12 months in honour of her dad

Wednesday 13 November 2024 is a day that Georgina Baker will remember forever.

"I got the phone call from my mum and it was basically saying that my dad's been in an accident... I just went blank," she said.

John Baker had been injured by a tackle during a rugby game at Banbury Rugby Club, causing him to be paralysed from the chest down.

Two months on, and Ms Baker is embarking on 12 hikes in 12 months in honour of her dad and to raise money for the RFU Injured Players Foundation.

She said the charity, which supports players with catastrophic injuries, had been "amazing" and she wanted to show her gratitude.

Family photo A woman with dark hair wearing a rugby shirt, a woman with blonde hair and wearing sunglasses on her head, a short-haired man wearing a red rugby shirt and a young man wearing a white shirt and a bow tie and holding a trophy, smiling at the camera with their arms around each other. They appear to be in a sports stadium with rows of seats behind them.Family photo
Ms Baker said her dad loved to dance and play rugby

Ms Baker said her dad "has always been known as a big friendly giant".

"He loves to dance, and play rugby," she said.

"He likes having a go at his team on the sidelines of a rugby pitch and he also likes to drink beers with them afterwards... anyone can go to [him] for anything and he'll always help them out and be that supportive person that he is."

She said she froze when she got the call from her mum.

"It's like you're stuck, you can't physically move," she said.

"What do I actually do? Where do I go from here? Who do I go to? Where am I meant to go?"

'Difficult to understand'

She got to the hospital, where her dad was "talking and doing okay", but over the next few days, the extent of his injuries became clear.

"It was very difficult to understand and it was trying to wrap our brains as a family around what was going on," said the 20-year-old.

She said Mr Baker was still in the John Radcliffe Hospital but was "doing okay".

"He's understanding his life in the future is just going to look a little bit different, but he's still being really positive," she said.

"He's still being the person we all know he is."

Family photo A woman with dark hair and wearing a black coat, a man wearing a black coat and cap, and a man wearing a black rugby shirt, smiling at the camera with their arms round each other.Family photo
Mr Baker lost the use of his arms and legs in the accident

Ms Baker said the RFU Injured Players Foundation had supported the family from the start.

"A week after [the accident] they were in contact with us and they've been there for us ever since," she said.

"They've been absolutely amazing... [the fundraiser] is my way of just showing to them that I do appreciate it."

But she said her hiking challenge, which starts on Wednesday, was also about showing her dad what he meant to her.

"It's for him," she said. "That man, he's is the strongest person I've ever met in my life.

"He has a power in him that I've never witnessed in anyone else and I hope that I have his power somewhere in me."

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