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Awkward TV moment with girl paralysed in skydiving accident goes viral


A woman who was left paralysed after a freak skydiving accident, was caught up in an awkward interview on Sunday night, with one TV host asking her if she’s ‘grateful’ for the accident.

Emma Carey was just 20-years-old in 2013 and on a worldwide backpacking trip when she decided to go skydiving for the first time over the Swiss Alps.

The self-confessed adrenaline junkie jumped at 14,000 feet from a plane, but when the instructor released the parachute, the back-up parachute also released and wrapped itself around his neck, leaving him unconscious as they both hurtled towards the ground.

There was a very awkward moment on The Project on Sunday night between the hosts and a girl who was left paralysed from a skydiving accident. Photo: Channel 10/The Project
There was a very awkward moment on The Project on Sunday night between the hosts and a girl who was left paralysed from a skydiving accident. Photo: Channel 10/The Project

Emma – who has now become known as ‘The Girl Who Fell From The Sky’ – and her instructor, hit the ground at such speed that she broke her spine and was left unable to walk.

Five years later, the now 25-year-old has completely defied the odds and after intense rehabilitation Emma is able to walk again.

However, The Sunday Project hosts, Fiona O’Loughlin and Lisa Wilkinson, left many cringing last night when they asked Emma some awkward interview questions.

Emma was taking part in the Wings for Life World Run, which raises money for spinal cord research, when she told the hosts she was excited to be walking the course, after being in a wheelchair last year.

Lisa Wilkinson then asked Emma is she was happy to be ‘running’ it this year, to which Emma looked a bit bemused at the question.

“Well not run, I can’t run,” Emma replied.

“But I’m going to do my best to walk and maybe get my friends to carry me a little bit. But yeah, super excited and super stoked to be back on my legs.”

Then, comedian Fiona O’Loughlin asked Emma perhaps the most bizarre question of them all.

“Emma, I wanted to ask you, you’re an incredible woman, girl. Are you almost grateful for the accident?” she said.

Emma replied saying: “grateful for the accident?” before going to say that she would prefer not to have gone through the pain of her injuries.

“That’s tricky, people always ask me would I take it back if I could, and obviously, I would much prefer to be living without these injuries, but there’s no way I could take it back,” she said.

“I’ve gained way too much from my accident and become a totally new person.

“Gained so much perspective that I guess yeah, in a way yeah I am extremely grateful because I don’t think I would be the person I am today if I didn’t go through all that.”

Emma is now able to ride a bike and walk on the beach, however she still can’t feel the sand between her feet or the wind on her legs.

Her skydiving instructor survived and despite shattering his legs upon impact, he can now walk.


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