From thinking his athletics careers was over, high jumper Simon Phelan last week came close to a qualifying leap for this year's Commonwealth Games in Delhi

THIS time last year high jumper Simon Phelan was told he would never compete again and was lucky to be able to walk.

The 23-year-old had suffered complications after rupturing his patella tendon in 2007 and admitted that ‘he thought it was all over’.

However, fast forward to the present day and Phelan has just made a successful return to high jumping, clearing 2.06m which puts him just 4 cm away from Commonwealth Games qualification.

He said: ‘When I ruptured my patella tendon I knew straight away that it was bad. It was the most pain I have ever experienced and it made a noise like a bullwhip.’

After months of ups and downs on the road to recovery, the Jersey Spartan athlete, who is now based in Birmingham, has gone from strength to strength and is now training with National events coach Fuzz Ahmed and some of the UK’s top high jumpers in Matt Roberts, Adam Scarr, and 2008 Olympic finalist Tom Parsons.