A fall in the street had catastrophic consequences for Andy Gardiner, which culminated in him driving to a bridge intending to end it all.

But high railings and annoyed motorists brought him to his senses and he returned home where life took a new, welcome twist.

Eight years ago Mr Gardiner tripped in the street and fell awkwardly, breaking his right leg. As he fell he bumped into the back of a pedestrian who fell on his leg, shattering it in 13 places, causing nerve and muscle damage. Despite several operations his leg was “dead” and doctors amputated it below the knee.

On Sunday, Mr Gardiner, pictured, of Forge Place, Fritwell, near Bicester, will join Mr Bracher as one of the five wheelchair users taking part in the London Marathon.

But getting to this point has been a tough journey.

After the amputation the 35-year-old, who was born in Oxfordshire but was living near Newcastle at the time, sank into a depression and 18 months after the December 2003 accident, he drove to the Tyne Bridge, planning to throw himself off.

He said: “I opened the car door, had a look at the size of the railing and thought I would never get over that.

“I went home and told my wife Kerry and she said you need to find something to do, something to focus on. So I typed ‘disabled sports’ into the computer and Disabled Target Shooting, based at Stoke Mandeville, came up. From then I didn’t look back.”

See disabledgolfer.weebly.com