17. Xander Van Der Poll’s insights into resilience and moving forward in the face of adversity

**DISCLAIMER: Please note that the views of our podcast guests may not always align with the views of Nutritank** Xander Van der Poll is a third year medical student at Bristol University, hopeful future GB Paralympian and has paraplegia. In 2018 he broke his back and was told he would never walk again. Despite this devastating news, Xander used his ‘six weeks in bed’ in hospital as the basis of an Instagram account, inspiring over 4000 people. This episode covers his unbelievable recovery and the everyday challenges of living with a disability. Xander is brutally honest about the fluctuations in his mental health following the accident and the support networks that helped him regain his optimism. Ally and Xander discuss how he progressed from fainting on his second day in a wheelchair to training for the Paralympic rowing team. They cover the pivotal role sport played in his recovery, as well as the importance of his care team. He explains how he works to constantly break stereotypes- both through his work and his social media presence. Podcast show notes: Xander’s Instagram Account ‘Six Weeks in Bed’ - @six_weeks_in_bed Brandon Beack (co-founder of charity Walking with Brandon) @brandonbeack Walking with Brandon Charity @walkingwithbrandon Alwyn Uys @alwynuys