A FORMER rugby player who sustained a life-changing back injury can live her life independently again.

Dani Watts who lives in Wokingham broke her spine at the age of 27 when she played a match for Reading based club Rams RFC.

READ THIS: CORONAVIRUS: Berkshire's Horseman Coaches collect evacuees from China

The mum-of-two spent six months in hospital and now uses a wheelchair, she suffers with sever nerve pain but has worked extremely hard to get her life back on track.

Ms Watts said: “It has been a very difficult time and I just want the ability to carry out ‘normal’ everyday tasks for my family and to get back to work.

"I have never known life any other way and I’ve always had a busy work life."

READ MORE: Mother AND her four children reported missing from Reading

Luckily, the RFU Injured Players Foundation donated a massive £246,000 towards an accessible home with a Stiltz home lift so she can live more independently for her two children Lillie-Rose and Freddie.

She also received an additional £140,000 from the Rams RFU and £100,000 from a kind-hearted personal training client.

ALSO READ: Wokingham student Ieuan Thomas spared jail over possessing indecent images of children and animals

Dani added: "You don’t know what charity is until you are on the receiving end. It was the most amazing example of humanity I have ever seen; people do actually care”.

Since her injury, Dani is working as a personal trainer and has started working with Rams RFU providing group strengthening classes which can help players avoid injury.

Dani is hoping to raise £10,000 in the 2020 London Marathon where both her and her partner Pete will compete in a wheelchair.