The unstoppable Ethan Walker – from ICU to the Euros
Meet the unstoppable Ethan Walker.
The young football hopeful was enjoying a player’s scholarship in the US when he was hit by a car and left with life-threatening injuries. Ethan battled his way back to health then once back home he met Prof Mackay to have complex knee surgery.
Now the football-mad surgeon and patient are taking on the incredible challenge of cycling from Hampden in Glasgow to Munich for the opening match of the Euros only 8 months after Ethan’s accident and raising money for The Duncan Hospital Charitable Trust.
Listen to this inspiring episode today.
Unique sports injuries podcast hosted by expert, specialist sports orthopaedic surgeon, Professor Gordon Mackay, and broadcaster Jennifer Reoch who asks the questions you all want answers to! Together they explore the world of sport, injuries, treatments, rehab, and recovery.
We have amazing guests who range from Olympians to weekend warriors in all sporting disciplines- from football to skiing, golf to rugby, we learn how they managed their injuries and recoveries and discover what impact this had on their sporting careers. But we also love to chat about their sporting careers and highlights.
In other episodes, experts in fields of sports medicine and rehab join us to discuss how advances in research, technology and treatments are helping athletes both avoid injury or accelerate recovery.
Conversations range from the light-hearted to the more serious and along the way it is hoped listeners pick up tips about how to deal with your own sports injuries, how to avoid injury, and just enjoy the general sports chat.
In this heart-stopping episode of Surgical Goals, we talk to the incredible Ethan Walker. A promising young footballer, Ethan's dreams had taken him from the east coast of Scotland to the US on a scholarship, where life was sweet for the young athlete. Fate intervened though when he was hit by a car landing him in intensive care, fighting for his life with brain bleeds, skull fractures, and a completely dislocated knee among his list of injuries. His very survival seemed uncertain and his family flew out to be with him. Now just 8 months later Ethan and Professor Mackay are about to embark on a remarkable journey cycling from Hampden in Glasgow to Munich for the opening match of the Euros!
Ethan's accident happened in September 2023 and he only met after Prof Mackay after he came to him to have surgery on his still serious knee injury. So how is this cycling adventure even possible?
In surely one of our most inspiring episodes ever, we talk to Ethan about the unbreakable spirit that is about to see him head off on this incredible journey. Prof Mackay talks about Ethan's knee surgery for the most serious dislocation you can suffer and Jennifer finds out more about how this remarkable challenge came about.
Make it to Munich! Ethan and Prof Mackay will be cycling alongside filmmaker Martyn Robertson and Tartan Army superfan Stephan Collie and a small support team. If you feel inspired to support them or find out more you can do so here
https://www.gofundme.com/f/make-it-to-munich
Thanks for listening – follow us on X and Instagram or head to our website for more info
X
Instagram
Website
Find out more about the Make it to Munich cycle challenge and to donate
