London bombings survivor shows true grit

London bombings survivor Gill Hicks has abseiled down a building in the UK capital with the paramedic who rescued her, 10 years on from the terror attack.

Australian Gill Hicks, London bombings survivor

London bombings survivor Gill Hicks is back in the city abseiling down a building for charity. (AAP)

Gill Hicks lost both her legs in the 2005 London bombings but 10 years on she's teamed up with the paramedic who rescued her to abseil down a building and raise funds for the hospital that saved her life.

The 46-year-old Australian admitted she was terrified by the ordeal but was determined to go through with it as one of 10 frightening fund-raising challenges she's set herself to mark a decade since her "second life" began.

London paramedic Tracy Russell was at Ms Hicks's side in the bombed Underground train on July 7, 2005 and was by her again on Friday, roping down a five-storey building at London's King's College Hospital.

The pair have become best of friends.

Since walking from hospital on prosthetic limbs three months after the bombings, Ms Hicks has put "life number one" behind her and dedicated herself to combating violent extremism, including founding the charity Making a Difference (MAD) For Peace.

For Ms Hicks, who was named the UK's Australian Woman of the Year in 2009, the abseil and other challenges she's giving her body are also about making a point against terrorism.

"For me it says, the acts of terrorism have maimed my body but the spirit of humanity will prevail and is stronger than anything that can seek to destroy it," she told AAP.

Ms Hicks, who moved back to Australia from London in 2012, has already abseiled down Adelaide's tallest building, learned to tap dance and recorded a song.

Another challenge she's set herself is to go shark cage diving off South Australia.

Friday's abseil helped raise money for St Thomas' Trust, which has special meaning for Ms Hicks because she was brought back to life at St Thomas' Hospital on the day of the bombings and had her first prosthetic limbs fitted there.

"Everything that's enabled me to have a life I owe to the incredible people of that hospital.

"I have my life, there are so many that didn't get to have their life back," she said.

The four bombs that went off in London in 2005, killed 52 commuters on three trains and a bus.

For Ms Russell that day was also traumatic as she rushed to tend to the injured and get them out of the Underground tunnel to hospital.

"We had a job to do, we had to get on with saving as many lives as we could, getting people out quickly, that's what we focused on and what's come out of that is my friendship with Gill, which I feel blessed in having," she told AAP.

On Friday the pair were cheered by onlookers as they completed their abseils.

Ms Hicks said she hated heights and was terrified all the way down, but reaching the ground was "beautiful".

She said it's taken her 10 years to accept her new life and "that my legs won't grow back".


Share

3 min read

Published

Updated

Source: AAP



Share this with family and friends


Get SBS News daily and direct to your Inbox

Sign up now for the latest news from Australia and around the world direct to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Download our apps
SBS News
SBS Audio
SBS On Demand

Listen to our podcasts
An overview of the day's top stories from SBS News
Interviews and feature reports from SBS News
Your daily ten minute finance and business news wrap with SBS Finance Editor Ricardo Gonçalves.
A daily five minute news wrap for English learners and people with disability
Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS
SBS World News

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service
Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world