A Singaporean rock climber Chua Chee Beng was told he would be wheelchair-bound for life after becoming partially paralysed from a fall.

Shin Min Daily News reported that he fractured his spine and legs after falling from a height of seven metres.

However, within two months, he made a miraculous recovery by standing on his own again.

Some four months later, he returned to rock climbing.

The accident

Chua, 50, decided to take up the challenge to climb a hill at Bukit Timah’s Dairy Farm Nature Park two years ago on Aug. 8, 2017.

The park’s hill is suited for advanced climbers and Chua was no amateur, as he was a full-time rock climbing instructor.

But on that fateful day, Chua was sent plummeting to the ground from seven metres high after he ran out of climbing rope as the rope slipped off the belaying device, which is a piece of climbing equipment to help reduce the effort of climbers.

He was conveyed to the hospital immediately.

Spinal injuries

Chua suffered fractures on his ankles and heels.

Doctors also discovered he suffered a crack in his spine that had damaged his spinal cord.

He had to undergo surgery to his back.

As a result of his injuries, Chua was paralysed from the waist down.

He was even told he needed to rely on a wheelchair for the rest of his life.

This news was devastating for Chua as he was a sporty person.

Refused to accept fate

Chua told Shin Min that he refused to accept his fate.

He promised himself he would leave the hospital by foot within two months.

With the help of a physiotherapist, Chua trained to use his legs again.

By the last week of his two-month stay at the hospital and with the encouragement of his friends and family, Chua could walk again with the aid of a cane.

Just four months after the fall, Chua was able to do rock climbing again.

Support group

Chua credits a group of like-minded friends for helping him with on his road to recovery.

As a token of appreciation, he pledged to participate in a 50km fundraising charity walk "Let’s Take A Walk" this November.

This is despite the fact that he still walks with a limp, and has yet to recover fully.

Chua trained himself to walk at least 4km using crutches on alternate days.

He successfully walked a total of 15km in three hours a day before the interview.

He said he would try his best and continue training in the coming months, even though he doesn’t feel fully confident in completing the 50km charity walk.

All photos via Shin Min Daily News