**Manchester Personal Trainer Overcomes Devastating Cheerleading Accident to Run Marathon**
A young personal trainer from Manchester has opened up about her traumatic recovery after a cheerleading accident nearly ended her ability to walk – and changed her sporting career forever.
Rosie Gorman, 22, was carrying out a routine sequence of backflips, known in the cheerleading world as a standing backflip spring series, as part of her usual warm-up back in August 2023. Despite her prowess and vast experience, disaster struck when she misjudged her final flip. Gorman’s shins collided forcefully with a three-foot wooden backboard at the training centre, resulting in immediate and severe injuries.
The moments following the incident were captured on video and shared on TikTok, where it has since drawn over 319,000 views, sparking widespread public reaction and messages of support. In the footage, Gorman is seen landing three consecutive flips with ease before the final catastrophic impact against the board halts her in her tracks.
Speaking about that fateful day, Gorman told reporters, “Watching the footage back is heartbreaking. I went for extra training to get in some practice – just a regular day, I thought. I’ve done this move hundreds of times. It was second nature,” she recalled. “But in an instant, everything changed.”
She was rushed to hospital, where initial assessments revealed injuries typical of car crash victims – both lower legs had suffered compartment syndrome. This serious condition, if untreated, can lead to permanent tissue damage or even amputation. “The doctors said my wounds were consistent with a crash and warned me that my lower legs would likely never be the same. I was absolutely terrified,” Gorman said.
After several days in hospital and a period of being completely bed-bound at home, Gorman began an intense rehabilitation programme. She described the following weeks as gruelling, relying on crutches and pushing through relentless pain as she fought to regain movement. “I’ve been left with significant nerve and muscle damage; some feeling hasn’t returned and certain areas are now very sensitive,” she explained. “It’s still difficult to come to terms with how quickly your life can change.”
Despite doctors cautioning her that a return to cheerleading was unlikely, Gorman was determined to defy expectations. “The doctors were very clear that my legs wouldn’t ever work the way they had before. That was a huge blow. I’d devoted 10 years to cheerleading – it felt like losing a part of myself.” However, Gorman’s commitment to physical fitness, through weight training and conditioning, played a crucial role in her survival and relatively swift recovery. Medical staff described her case as almost unprecedented in the speed of her improvement.
Remarkably, within just five months of the accident, Gorman had regained the ability to perform the same backflip series that nearly cost her so much, and in April 2025, she completed the Manchester Marathon – a testament to her resilience and determination. “Crossing the finish line after everything I’d been through was an emotional moment,” she says. “I just burst into tears – I proved to myself and everyone else that I could not only recover, but thrive.”
Now an advocate for injured athletes, Gorman is keen to spread a message of perseverance. “For anyone in sport whose career is cut short by injury – it does feel like the worst thing in the world at the time. But your body and spirit are capable of so much more. If you keep going, you can find new passions and keep moving forward,” she encourages.
Her story, which has inspired thousands online, stands as a powerful reminder of the physical and mental strength required to overcome adversity. Gorman’s journey offers hope and motivation not just for athletes, but for anyone facing life-altering setbacks.
As Gorman continues working as a personal trainer, she remains passionate about supporting others through their own recoveries, urging people to persevere, adapt, and rediscover joy – no matter what challenges life throws their way.