My name is Henrietta, I’m 41 years old, and I used to be a professional athlete. I competed in the pole vault and track and field from the age of 15 until I was 35. After retiring from athletics, I went back to university to complete a master’s in personalised nutrition and started my own business as a nutritionist. Alongside that, I worked part-time as a P.E. teacher at a local primary school while raising my two young boys.
In May 2024 my life changed completely when I suffered a T12, nearly complete, spinal injury during a weightlifting session at the gym. I lost my balance, and the bar came down on me. I was rushed to Southampton Hospital, where I spent six weeks, and then transferred to Salisbury, where I spent the next four to five months in rehabilitation. It was at Salisbury that I was introduced to Horatio’s Garden.
I’d heard about the garden through word of mouth and knew it was supposed to be beautiful, but nothing could have prepared me for what I saw. The space was absolutely stunning – so much bigger than I’d imagined, with endless areas to explore. I loved that I could wheel out into the garden whenever I wanted.
I spent time in the garden every single day. Even if I could only spare half an hour, I made sure to go outside. There wasn’t a single day when I didn’t sit in the sunshine, soaking up the nature around me.
One of the highlights of my rehabilitation was a trip to Stoke Mandeville, where I got the chance to try several Paralympic sports. My favorites were basketball and rugby, but I also had a go at shooting, tennis, hand cycling, and wheelchair racing. It was such a refreshing change from the routines of rehabilitation and gave me the chance to meet others in similar situations.
Having access to the garden made an enormous difference when friends and family came to visit. Without that space, it would have been unbearable. The wards offer no privacy, and the communal spaces feel sterile and uninspiring. For my children, the garden was a godsend. They could run around, explore the flowers, and pick apples. I honestly can’t imagine those months without it. Despite being the most challenging period of my life, the garden made things as good as they possibly could have been.
My favorite thing to do in the garden was to sit in the sun, read, listen to the birds, and simply relax. It became a space where I could breathe, process my emotions, and gather my thoughts. It gave me privacy, a sense of peace, and a much-needed distraction from everything I was going through.
For me, Horatio’s Garden was truly life-changing. Without it, the experience would have been almost unbearable.
