A DAD paralysed in a weightlifting accident has been using his son to get him fighting fit again.

James Dwyer, 36, from Shoreham was practising a weightlifting move called a snatch lift last October when the bar fell on his back, crushing his spine and paralysing him from the waist down.

A year on James has regained his strength and fulfilled his aim of lifting his two-year-old son Dexter into his arms.

He said: “My overriding goal as I lay in hospital was to be able to lift my son Dexter and play with him to feel part of family life once again.

“After the accident I was told I would probably never walk again.”

The injury left him completely unable to lift Dexter - who was just one at the time - and leaving his wife Emma struggling to cope as he lay in a hospital bed.

James was taken to Brighton General Hospital, then transferred to Haywards Heath, before going to the specialist spinal cord injury unit at Stoke Mandeville.

He still has no sensation below his belly button but he has managed to regain his upper body strength.

Desperate to regain his upper body strength to play with Dexter and get back in the gym, James began rehabilitation at the Nurokinex, a specialist spinal cord rehabilitation unit in Crawley.

He said: “They didn’t bat an eyelid when I told them I wanted to get back in the gym, lift weights again and find a competitive sport to channel my energy.

“Lifting Dexter is really great training . He weighs about 10kg now so it’s a pretty good workout.

I’ve become his chair and it is great to be able to get back into family life and do things with him. I can now play with Dexter . Emma still has to do more of the carrying, bringing in the shopping and things, but I am back doing most of the important stuff.”

James is now training for wheelchair racing competitions and plans to do a half-marathon next year.

“I know how lucky I am to have restored my family and work life and being back challenging myself in lifting and wheelchair racing is the icing on the cake.”