Wheelchair adventurer and former England hockey player Frankie Butler tells Liv Bolton how she discovered trail wheeling following a horrific injury and how the outdoors helped her through her darkest times.

Has the outdoors helped you during a difficult time in your life?

When I met up with The Outdoors Fix podcast guest Frankie Butler by the Jubilee River in Berkshire, she told me it had been a literal life saver. 

Frankie used to be an England hockey player, but in 2019 she suffered a devastating injury during a match. It left her unable to walk and needing to use a wheelchair.

In the first episode of Series 6 of The Outdoors Fix podcast, Frankie speaks incredibly powerfully about how the outdoors helped her in her darkest times as she came to terms with the changes in her life.

She told me how she’s taken up trail wheeling all over the UK (think trail running but in a wheelchair) and she recently completed a half marathon! 

Frankie’s new mission is to inspire other wheelchair users to get outside and explore nature. She also wants the outdoors community to help make the British countryside more accessible. 

Her story truly sums up the power of the outdoors – a place that can give hope and joy even amid the most difficult of circumstances. 

To listen to Frankie’s episode, head to Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever else you get your podcasts, and search for The Outdoors Fix.

You’ll also find pictures of Frankie and her adventures on @theoutdoorsfix on Instagram or Frankie’s Instagram account @_frankie_butler

I hope you enjoy the podcast and that it helps motivate you to get outdoors and feel great!

Frankie Butler’s Bio

23-year-old Frankie Butler is a wheelchair adventurer and former England hockey player. She suffers from CRPS (Complex Regional Pain Syndrome) following an ankle injury, which means she can’t walk and now uses a wheelchair.

Frankie’s an advocate for trail wheeling (think trail running but in a wheelchair) and she recently completed a half marathon in her wheelchair. She’s training for the London marathon in 2022.

Frankie is based near Marlow in Buckinghamshire.

Liv x

(@liv_outsideuk)