Jerry's Journey Back to Fitness

Jerry Innesbeer, 60, suffered life-changing injuries in a serious car accident over four years ago. At one point, he came close to losing his foot and faced the daunting challenge of learning to walk again. After multiple surgeries and months of intensive rehabilitation, he defied expectations. Today, Jerry is not just walking - he’s running 10K races.

In February 2022, Jerry was travelling from Lincoln to Louth to visit a friend when he instinctively swerved to avoid a deer that had run into the road. His car struck a tree and rolled multiple times before coming to rest in dense woodland.

Despite the severity of the crash, Jerry managed to drag himself from the wreckage to the roadside, where passers-by called the emergency services. Unaware of the extent of his injuries, he had made it to safety with what responders later described as catastrophic damage to his left leg.

Indeed, Jerry sustained multiple injuries, including a broken leg in two places, three broken ribs, a cracked sternum, a broken clavicle, three broken bones in his right hand, a punctured lung, a bruised spleen, and extensive cuts and bruises; most seriously, his left foot had come adrift,

The crew from Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance provided specialist treatment at the scene before airlifting him to hospital. His recovery would take months of surgery and rehabilitation.

Determined to rebuild his strength, Jerry joined Yarborough Leisure Centre in Lincoln, operated by Better, a charitable social enterprise. He began in the pool, using low-impact exercise to regain mobility and cardiovascular fitness, before progressing to the centre’s EGYM equipment, which provided a personalised and structured training programme.

Each of the ten machines automatically adjust to the user’s body and fitness level for an effective 30 minute routine, which is tracked for progress, allowing goals to be set and confidence built.

As his strength and confidence grew, Jerry progressed into group exercise classes starting with BODYBALANCE - a mix of yoga and Pilates – to improve his flexibility. Then he moved on to BODYPUMP and BODYCOMBAT, gradually pushing his limits further.

Last year, Jerry and his wife Emma entered the City of Lincoln 10K, completing the race in just over an hour. This year, he returned to the event and successfully completed the race, achieving his goal of finishing in under one hour (58 mins).

Jerry says: “For a while, I was in a wheelchair and told I’d never run again. That just made me more determined. Running has always been a part of my life, and I wasn’t ready to give that up. It became my goal.

 “I was fairly fit before the accident, but I think I’m even fitter now. There’s metal in my left leg, from the knee to the ankle, and my ankle was screwed onto a metal bar to enable my foot to be reattached - but it hasn’t stopped me. Completing the Lincoln 10K was a proud moment and proof of how far I’m come.”

Jerry now works out at Yarborough and Birchwood Leisure Centres in Lincoln six days a week, keeping up his fitness and always working towards a goal.

“The Lincs & Notts Air Ambulance saved my life, and the team at Yarborough have been instrumental in my recovery. After the accident, I just wanted to get back to some level of normal fitness. Thanks to the support at the leisure centres, I was able to complete the Lincoln 10K this year in aid of LNAAC and raise £1,000 – bringing the total we’ve raised so far to over £4,500 - to help others who find themselves in similar situations!”

Improving his fitness level continues to be a goal for Jerry - as is running the Lincoln 10K again next year.