A FATHER who had his leg amputated after a horrific car crash left him fighting for his life has set his sights on Paralympic glory.
David Tasker lost his left leg, the use of his left arm and spent five months in a coma following the smash in Skegness as he walked along a country lane on his way home from a night out.
Despite feeling so low he thought about taking his own life, David, 29, of Athersley North, said he won’t be beaten and hopes to revive his sporting dreams.
He had once been a keen martial artist who trained six nights a week with the same taekwondo coach as Team GB.
Now he has taken up cycling and has completed his first team triathlon, using only his right arm to power a specially adapted hand bike.
David, a former DJ, said: “After the accident I didn’t want to be here at first. I felt like I couldn’t do anything. I went from being the breadwinner to being on benefits and that was really tough.
“Martial arts was my passion, but I’d always been into sport. I played rugby, ice hockey, skiing, golf, but after the accident I just didn’t think there was anything I could do.
“Cycling has been a lifeline. It’s given me something to aim for and made me feel a bit more like my old self.
“The triathlon was harder than I thought, but I was determined to finish and that’s just the start. If I can I’d like to go all the way to the Paralympics.”
David was on holiday in Skegness when the accident happened in August 2016. He credits his wife Samantha with bringing him back from the brink, along with children Kristen, two, Ashton, four, and Bentley, five.
The couple got engaged just two months after meeting and had been together for five years at the time of the accident.
They married in a tear-jerking ceremony the following October when David stood for the first time since the crash to say his vows.
And Samantha couldn’t have been more proud when David was cheered across the finish line at the ‘Go Tri’ Limb Power Triathlon in Wilmslow, part of a series of events to encourage those with disabilities to get into sport.
David cycled the almost 7km route alongside Ione MacGregor and Steve Hill, completed the 1.5km run and 100m swim, coming fourth overall for that course.
The pair, from law firm Slater and Gordon, are representing David in a civil action against the driver.
Steve said: “It was a real privilege to be part of such a positive event. There was a real sense of community and to see David achieve his goal was amazing.
“It was tough, but he carried on which is testament to the kind of man he is.
“He’s a true inspiration and I look forward to seeing him in Tokyo.”
