A MAGOR man who overcame life-threatening injuries after a road traffic accident has been handed a national award for coaching youngsters.

Dan Johnsey was awarded the Young Coach of the Year award at this year’s Sport Wales Awards, which took place at the Wales Millennium Centre on Monday.

The award recognises the outstanding contributions of a volunteer to encourage and support more people to start playing and succeed in a sport.

through high quality coaching.

Mr Johnsey has rebuilt his life after being knocked down by a car near his home in Wilcrick, near Magor, in 2005 just after he had started secondary school.

The former Chepstow Comprehensive School pupil suffered terrible injuries - a severe head injury, a broken pelvis, a broken left arm and his left foot was nearly severed.

He was in a coma for 10 days and in a ‘locked-in’ state for five months, unable to communicate.

Now more than a decade after the incident, Mr Johnsey found the confidence to volunteer at Caldicot Leisure Centre.

One of his key achievements this year has been his work to lead on a transition project engaging young people from a small disability-specific gym class into the mainstream fitness suite at Caldicot.

Mark Foster, the council’s Disability Sport Officer, said: “Dan is an inspiration to us all.”

He has achieved so much and passes lots of enthusiasm and dedication to everyone he coaches.”

Other successes in Monmouthshire included Paul Crapper, of Abergavenny, who was awarded the Community Coach of the Year award for his dedication and support to encourage and enable women of all ages to take up cycling.

Bob Greenland, cabinet member for innovation, enterprise and leisure said: “These are outstanding achievements for sport in Monmouthshire.”

“Both Dan and Paul have accomplished so much for the communities they support. It is so good to see the Monmouthshire Leisure Team going from strength to strength to empower volunteers and enable them to reach their potential.”