BBC Countryfile presenter Sammi Kinghorn feared she'd die after horror accident

Countryfile presenter Sammi Kinghorn has opened up about the terrifying incident that left her paralysed from the waist down. The 28 year old, who is also a world champion wheelchair racer, grew up on a farm in Scotland with her parents Neil and Elaine, and her brother.

Despite having fond memories of her childhood, she has spoken about a life-changing event when she was just 14 years old.

In December 2010, their family farm was hit by a severe snowstorm. Sammi recalls her father being "overwhelmed" as livestock perished and local residents found themselves stranded. During a day of playing on the farm with a friend, Sammi noticed her father operating his forklift.

Speaking to OK! magazine, she recalled the incident as she relayed her dad "beeping his horn and laughing," while she and her friend played nearby. She then decided to climb onto part of the forklift, admitting she had "no idea" why she did it, though she speculated it may have been to "show off" to other children.

Unaware that Sammi had climbed onto the machinery, Neil lowered the forklift bucket he'd been using to clear snow, which landed on top of her. Speaking to the Daily Mail last year, Sammi said she remembers feeling "pressure" on her neck and initially thought her dad was "joking" but had "gone a bit too far".

The presenter recounted the harrowing moment she started "screaming," revealing that her back began "popping" and suddenly her "head was in [her] crotch". Sammi described being "crushed right down" into a "tiny ball".

She recalled: "My heart was thumping in my chest. Everything felt really slow and all I could hear was my breath. I remember closing my eyes and thinking 'you're going to die, and your Dad's going to think it's his fault'."

Upon regaining consciousness, Sammi realised she couldn't feel her legs, although she retained movement in them, before collapsing onto compacted snow. She experienced her legs "pulsing" and "twitching," marking the last time she had sensation in them.

Despite her initial fears about her father's reaction, Sammi eventually confessed to her parents the true nature of her accident after hospital doctors questioned the inconsistencies with her injuries and a simple fall.

Neil, her father, who had always emphasised the dangers of farming machinery to his children, including Sammy, spoke of feeling "numb" when he learned of the accident, stating it "blew [the family's] life to pieces".

Sammi, now paralysed from the waist down, has shown resilience by starting to forge a new path for herself. She considers her paralysis a "consequence" of her own reckless actions.

Now a world champion wheelchair racer, a double Paralympic medalist and the world record holder for the T53 1500m, Sammi has an impressive list of sporting achievements. In addition to her sports career, she got engaged last year to her partner Callum, taken on a role as a TV presenter and has been awarded an MBE.