THREE years ago, everything changed for Jordan Glasspool in a matter of seconds.

A fit and active 18-year-old, he was working as a personal trainer, and played rugby, football and cricket, as well as being a keen cyclist.

He was taking part in the Wiggle Cotswold sportive cycling event near Cheltenham on August 15, 2015.

Not long into the race he fell of his bike and into the path of an oncoming car. The car was lifted off of him by 15 of his fellow participants and he was airlifted to hospital by the Great Western Air Ambulance (GWAAC) after they gave him lifesaving treatment at the scene.

His condition was critical. Without the air ambulance it is unlikely that he would have survived the journey to hospital.

He had a fractured skull, bleeding on his brain, several fractured ribs, a punctured lung, his pelvis had been ripped into three pieces and he had nerve damage in both legs.

He was in a coma  and his parents were warned that he might not survive.

"They were told to say their goodbyes to me," says the 21-year-old from Fair Oak.

Jordan’s family were told that even if he did survive it would be very unlikely that he would walk again.

But he amazed the GWAAC crew by walking into the airbase a year later.

Incredibly, he was also able to finish the Wiggle cycling event a year later, when he took over from his brother to cycle the last part over the finish line.

To thank GWAAC Jordan’s friends and family have been raising money, to help keep the air ambulance flying. So far they have raised more than £2,500. And Jordan is hoping to add to that total, with a fundraising event to mark the three year anniversary of the accident.

Tomorrow (August 15), at The Gym Southampton East, where Jordan now works as a personal trainer, he is going to be taking on a challenge to see how many Cotswold Sportive equivalent rides he can complete on a spinning bike to raise money and awareness, for the fantastic service that the Great Western Air Ambulance and other air ambulances across the country provide.

He hopes to raise a further £1,000 for the GWAAC.

Jordan has come a long way in the last three years, and he is the first to admit that it hasn't been easy.

He has little memory of the year before the accident or the first month or two afterwards.

"If I see a photo of myself from a year or so before the crash, I can kind of place myself in it, and remember what I was doing, but that's it," he says.

His first memory of after the accident is of being in a wheelchair in rehab, being taught how to perform basic tasks for himself.

"It was very weird," he says.

"I couldn't believe what had happened. I had to go through a lot of readjustment with a psychologist to understand what I had been through.

"I was in a very dark place for a while. It developed over time, as I couldn't believe what had happened to me. It was bad for a few months.

"Seeing the psychologist, going to the gym and spending time with my dog all really helped me."

Jordan was in hospital for just over 13 months. When he came out, he was learning to walk.

"I spent the year focusing on getting physically and mentally better," he says.

He has made an incredible recovery, and returned to work as a personal trainer just over a month ago.

He still has niggling problems from the accident. As well as the memory loss, he experiences numbness in areas of both legs, and can struggle to use his left hand, due to tendon damage, but he refuses to let them hold him back.

"There were times when I was frustrated, angry and wanted to give up," he says.

"But no matter how bad things may seem, they will get better, be patient, be positive and you will get through your struggles.

"I have felt better and better over time. Getting a lot of exercise has been a really important part of that."

The accident has taken its toll on his social life. Most of his friends from before the accident have gone to university or moved on with their lives. At the moment, Jordan's main focus is on his PT business.

"It's taken me some time to adjust to the accident but I feel that I'm getting there," he adds.

"I feel excited about the future. I don't know what it's going to hold, but it feels very exciting."

* To help Jordan reach his fundraising target, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/jordanglasspoolgwaa