SAS: Who Dares Wins Star Esmee Gummer Opens Up on Paralysis Battle and Epic UK Running Challenge
By Lifestyle Correspondent
Esmee Gummer has spoken candidly about the life-changing medical emergency that left her paralysed from the waist down at the age of 18 — and the extraordinary challenge she is now preparing to undertake across the UK.
The endurance athlete, fitness coach and former SAS: Who Dares Wins star shared her story during an appearance on FUBAR Radio’s What The Health?! programme with host Claira Hermet.
Esmee explained she had gone into hospital for what was expected to be a straightforward hernia operation and believed she would return home the same day.
However, complications during surgery led to a severe reaction to the anaesthetic, causing repeated seizures while she was unconscious. The seizures resulted in brain damage that left her unable to walk.
She said doctors were initially unable to explain exactly what had happened or how to treat the condition, leaving both her and her family facing huge uncertainty.
Esmee described the emotional toll of suddenly losing her mobility, saying the hardest moments often came at night when she was alone with her thoughts.
She later realised just how closely movement and exercise were linked to her mental wellbeing after struggling with depression during her recovery.
Despite the challenges, she slowly rebuilt her confidence and eventually returned to running six years later.
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Now she is preparing for her toughest challenge yet — running around 5,000 kilometres across the UK in 99 consecutive days while organising free 5K community events in 77 cities as part of “The Nation’s 5K”.
Esmee said the aim of the project is to encourage people of all abilities to get involved in movement and exercise, whether they walk, jog, run or take part in another way.
She hopes the challenge will inspire people who may feel intimidated by fitness to take their first steps and build long-lasting healthy habits and community connections.
