In February 2024, in his final week on a gap year in New Zealand, Northern Beaches teenager Saxon Carr was mountain biking on a new trail when his front tyre hit something.
“I went flying through the air,” Saxon told Manly Observer.
“I’ve had similar crashes where I’ve knocked myself out, but this time when I woke up and I tried to get up, my legs weren’t responding, and that’s when I knew it was pretty serious.”
Saxon sustained a spinal cord injury, which left his lower body paralysed.
Over the next 12 months, Saxon would discover true resilience through his recovery, buoyed by an incredible network of support. His family stood by him from the start, while friends flew in to Christchurch to provide companionship during his hospital stay and even launched a GoFundMe campaign. His former school community rallied together, raising an impressive $50,000 to aid his healing journey.
The accident
Saxon’s Mum
“I was out in Mosman, it was 4pm, and my ex-husband called and told me that Saxon was in a helicopter from Queenstown to Christchurch,” Rochelle Collis, Saxon’s mum, recalled of the evening she rushed to the airport to catch the last flight to Christchurch.
Saxon’s dad had explained Saxon couldn’t move his legs.
“I felt an immediate sense of helplessness and dread and I struggled to process the severity of the situation. My thoughts spiralled, racing with concern for his well-being to fears about long-term effects,” she continued.
Rochelle got to the hospital as Saxon, her youngest son, was coming out of surgery to decompress his spinal cord.
“Saxon will forever be my baby boy. Seeing him hurt, in pain, and scared ripped my heart out of my chest. It was the most emotional pain I’ve ever felt,” she added.
Saxon spent a month in hospital.
“It was a big shock, and it was a lot to process,” Saxon said of the weeks that followed.
“I was really close to the nurses’ station, and Mum got me moved to somewhere quieter because I just needed that calmness and quiet to process everything.”
When Saxon’s school friends heard of the accident, they didn’t hesitate to jump on a plane to be with him.
“Saxon and I have been friends since about Year 9, when a group of us found a passion for mountain biking after school,” Noah Edwards said.
“Saxon’s mum got in contact with us, and we were shocked to hear about his accident, so the group of us flew over to see him and give him some much needed support. Saxon is a great mate and had it been anyone else in that situation, he would’ve done the same thing.”
Saxon told us having his friends there was massive to him and was exactly what he needed to get through those weeks.
Noah and the group set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds to get Saxon home and to then financially help with purchasing critical equipment he would need for his recovery. Their goal is $150,000 and at the time of publication, they were nearing $50,000. If you’d like to help, click here.
“Having my friends do that for me… it just alleviated the headache and stress around everything and let me just get on with things,” Saxon said.
Mater Maria Catholic College Principal Marc Reicher stepped in
Principal Marc Reicher was one of Rochelle’s first calls when Saxon was in the ICU.
“Marc and I stayed in touch, and I regularly updated him on Saxon’s condition,” Rochelle said.
“Once we realised Saxon’s injury was permanent and understood the challenges, Marc offered to host a fundraiser for him.”
Now, we all know schools do some pretty amazing things for their students, but by 2024, Saxon was a former student.
“During my initial conversation with Rochelle, we discussed how our community could support Saxon,” Principal Reicher said.
“We agreed to organise a social night to show Saxon he had the support of his friends and the community. Later, we learned about the expensive equipment needed to improve Saxon’s life.”
On Friday, 9 December 2024, the school held a Trivia and Charity Auction fundraiser where 300 school community members turned up for Saxon.
“The highlight was seeing the community come together, including ex-students, their parents, the current community and staff,” Principal Reicher recalled.
“The spirit of unity and support for one of our own was truly amazing.”
The night raised $50,000 to help Saxon purchase critical equipment, but it was more than fundraising. It was about how much community support can mean to someone.
“The realisation that others are willing to rally around Saxon gave us a profound sense of connectedness and hope,” Rochelle added.
“The kindness shown by friends, the school, and even strangers have helped lift a heavy emotional burden. Marc not only supported me when I called him from the ICU, but he also organised counselling for Saxon’s friends. I will never forget his kindness and care. The support from others fostered a sense of resilience by reinforcing that we are not alone.”
Finding inspiration
Alex Richter, community ambassador for spinal cord injuries, was one of the speakers at the school’s Trivia and Charity Auction.
He met Saxon at the Sargood Rehab centre in Collaroy and, according to Saxon, has been a source of inspiration for what his future can look like.
Alex, who is now 22, sustained a similar injury on a mountain bike when he was 16. Today, he shares his story and talks about how resilience helped him overcome the challenges he’s faced as he’s adapted to his “new normal”.
“We were both active people, we loved the outdoors, and, in an instant, you’re paralysed and it’s a massive adjustment,” Alex told Manly Observer.
“Your future is uncertain. Your plans are out of the window. Having community support, it’s hard to describe what it means, but knowing people are there for you, to help you in any way you need help, or who want the best for you, it just means everything and made the biggest difference for my mental health – having them help me set goals and cheer me on when I achieved them, even the little wins.”
Alex explained while having a spinal cord injury is physically limiting that hasn’t stopped him. He has attended university, is employed and goes mountain biking on his adaptive mountain bike.
“To me, Alex is a massive source of inspiration,” Saxon explained.
“To see what his life looks like now, he still goes mountain biking, and he’s travelled around Tasmania with his partner, and they recently went to Canada, all those sorts of things just opens your eyes and shows me what life will be like.”
Alex added, “Saxon’s a legend, and he’s already come so far, and he’s got a great life ahead of him.”
The future
Today, at 20 years old, Saxon is studying a Bachelor of Business at UTS and attends rehab once a week.
“I’d really like to work in sports management in the future,” he said.
“And I’m working on getting my driver’s licence back, which will be great to be a bit more independent.”
His mum said she’s in awe of his resilience.
“There were moments of vulnerability, where I felt heartbroken that he had to face these challenges at 19,” Rochelle said.
“However, seeing him face this tremendous challenge with determination and strength filled me with admiration. He’s demonstrated an unwavering spirit despite the obstacles he faced.”
Saxon’s recovery is ongoing, and Rochelle said a muscle stimulation machine would improve circulation, keep muscle bulk, reduce spasms and prevent secondary pressure wounds. If you’d like to support Saxon, the best way is to donate to the GoFundMe page set up by Noah (over here).
Saxon is also hoping to one day get an adaptive bike, so he can once again hit the trails, and a basketball wheelchair, as he is on the local wheelchair basketball team.
“The one thing I really want to drive home to everyone is, after a major injury there’s still plenty of life to live. You can still get a job and have opportunities to travel the world and be involved in adaptive sport. I will always be grateful for the fundraising everyone has done to help me and my family,” Saxon added.
