British triathlete Claire Danson has proved her strength once more in a powerful new Instagram post.

The athlete, who claimed gold in the 30-34 age category at the end of the European Championships in June, wrote a powerful essay on her Instagram account revealing that she was left paralysed in August after a devastating road accident.

The post, which is accompanied with photos of the athlete throughout her hospitalisation, recovery and rehabilitation, details the accident which left her paralysed, and asks her followers to remember that she is still “the same person”, and that she endeavours to continue her sporting career.

“It has taken me a while to write this but now I am ready to share my story of the incident that has changed my life for ever; a story of going from European champion at triathlon to life in a wheelchair,” Danson writes.

She then goes on to detail the accident which caused her paralysis – a collision with a tractor while she was out riding her bike. The crash, which occurred on 28 August earlier this year, led the athlete to suffer two punctured lungs, a broken finger, two broken wrists, a broken humerus, two broken shoulders and breaks in both her neck and ribs, all of which has been addressed through surgery and will heal fully.

Athlete Claire Danson pens emotional open letter after being left paralysed in a road accident