A Bognor personal trainer is back on his feet after being told he'd never walk again

But now Dean Whitfield has finished a book about the hurdles he faced and won a national award in recognition of his achievements.

"I was a passenger in my friend's car when we crashed in Bilsham Road in Yapton in 2001.

"After that, I was in a coma for three weeks with frontal lobe brain damage," said Dean.

Driver Stephen Young died in the crash aged 19. Dean, who lives in Littlehampton, was taken to St Richard's Hospital where he stayed for nearly three months.

"I had my 18th birthday while in a coma in hospital. Consultants paralysed me from the neck down to help reduce the impact on my brain," he said.

Despite medics saying he would never walk again, Dean persisted with physiotherapy and learnt to walk.

He also re-learnt how to read and write.

Dean now works as a personal trainer at Fitness First in the Bognor Regis retail park. "I feel as if I've been given a second life, I'd like people to be inspired by my story."

Dean has just won the staff category of the Fitness First New You achievement awards. Judges said his determination to recover from his illness and then go on to train others was impressive and commendable.

Dean's story, Overcoming the Odds, is due to be published next year.