A stroke of good fortune has changed Sally’s life

Swimming is helping to transform the life of one injured veteran. In 1989, Sally Cranmer was serving with the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army Nursing Corps, and was firmly on course to become a military surgeon, when her ambition was brought to an abrupt end.

Sally tore ligaments in her foot during a training exercise and although she fought for four years to save her leg, she eventually made the very difficult decision to amputate it below the knee.

“The injury put paid to my career. My leg was dying right in front of me. I developed severe depression and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, as well as Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and Neutropenia. My parents became my carers,” said 54-year-old Sally.

But Sally’s life took an even more devastating turn when she lost both her parents, following which she developed anorexia.

“The more weight I lost the better I felt,” she said, “but it eventually led to a spell in a coma, three years in an eating disorder unit, and almost cost me my life. I survived on nutrition drinks for more than 10 years.”

But in November 2017, Sally met Hazel, a Care Support Enabler, who has helped her turn her life around, partly by introducing her to swimming. Sally went swimming last May for the first time since her initial injury 30 years ago, and the impact of the sport on her physical and mental wellbeing since has been nothing short of colossal.

“I was terrified to get into the water at first,” said Sally. “I couldn’t even float because the missing limb affected my buoyancy; I was like a ball rolling over! But the feel of the water helped with my joints and I quickly began to realise that swimming might be an activity that I could enjoy without being in pain. Now, I can do more in the water than I can out of it!”

After that first day, Sally went home to watch YouTube videos to learn how to swim as an amputee, before her Support Officer Steve Fraser introduced her to Paralympic swimmer David Hill.

was still struggling to swim in a straight line, which is where David was able to help,” said Sally. “I’m better at backstroke and freestyle than breaststroke, but I’ll get there eventually.” Last September, Sally entered her first competition, and returned home a champion with four medals and a trophy. “I quite like how winning feels,” she said afterwards. “Bring it on!”

Eager to become a better athlete, Sally has now joined a gym and is beginning to fuel her body with the nutrition she needs to become a stronger and faster swimmer.