From 40ft cliff fall to helping Wirral residents get moving
Graham Day had a lucky escape. A 40-foot fall from a cliff could have proven fatal.
When his dog Meg mistook her surroundings and ran off a cliff edge, Graham went to bring her back but slipped as a rock gave way. His injuries were serious and his recovery was lengthy but on his physio’s recommendation he took up Nordic walking to bring back his fitness.
Now Graham is on a mission to get as many people participating in Nordic walking as possible through Wirral Council’s free Active You programme.
Graham runs two Nordic walking sessions per week – at New Brighton’s Floral Pavilion on Mondays (10am-12pm) and Birkenhead Park on Fridays (10am-12pm).
Given how he has benefitted from the activity following his accident, Graham is determined for more people to do so.
Nordic walking transforms an ordinary walk into a full-body workout. Using specially designed poles, it engages up to 90% of the body’s muscles and is suitable for a wide range of fitness levels. Studies have shown it can help improve breast cancer-related symptoms and lymphedema, it is recommended by the NHS for people with arthritis and offers a sociable way to stay fit.
The free sessions through community-based Active You encourage adults within Wirral to be more physically active focusing on building strength, balance and coordination. It aims to reduce falls in later life and decrease the risk of being diagnosed with a long-term health condition.
I want to help get people moving. You could say I am on a mission.
It was 2022 when Graham and his wife Beverley were walking in Somerset, taking their 16-year-old dog Meg out before they checked into their accommodation.
Meg was arthritic, so we let her off the lead as we didn’t think she would run off. Meg mistook the sea for a lake and ran straight off the edge of the cliff.
We thought she wouldn’t survive because it was a big drop, but I could see her moving. As I was leaning to look over and see if there was a way down to her, the rock I was holding came off in my hand.
I went 40 feet down the cliff, bounced a couple of times and landed.
Graham fractured multiple ribs on the right-hand side of his body and punctured a lung. He was rescued by a local who knew the terrain and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).
Before the accident, Graham was a regular runner and attended yoga classes. Those were out of the question for a significant period during his recovery - but his physiotherapist recommended Nordic walking.
Graham quickly got the bug and it helped him regain cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength and improve his posture. Following his experience, Graham felt a strong sense of gratitude and responsibility.
Living in London at the time, he began volunteering and trained as a British Nordic Walking Association Instructor to support people undergoing cancer treatment.
After returning from the capital to Heswall, he continued working with patients at Maggie’s in Clatterbridge Hospital before starting Active You sessions for Wirral residents.
I really enjoy what I do. I’m partly motivated by what happened to me but I also see the benefits people get, especially when they realise how well they’re moving.
Nordic walking isn’t competitive but has so many benefits. You’re outside, your posture improves and your chest opens. There’s a strong community aspect while you are in nature and benefiting from being outdoors.
The RNLI volunteers who rescued me were perfect strangers and I decided I needed to give back. The only way I could do that was to pass on what I had gained from Nordic walking to other people.
Meg’s recovery was fairly swift as, incredibly, she suffered only a couple of wounds to her nose.
About Active You
Active You aims to create a movement for engaging and empowering residents across the borough to take ownership of their own health, reducing potential barriers and creating opportunities to be more physically active.
It is a community-based project, bringing people together to get fit for free. Sessions within council leisure centres will incur a cost if you do not have a membership.
To be part of the Active You movement, visit Active You - Active Wirral or email activeyou@wirral.gov.uk.
