‘I'm giving it my all': Avalon Airshow crash pilot details long road to recovery
Experienced pilot Glenn Collins suffered critical injuries after his plane crashed to the ground while performing an aerial demonstration at the Avalon Australian International Airshow on March 28.
Collins spoke for the first time on Monday about his recovery, thanking those who came to his rescue and the public for an 'incredible outpouring of support'.
'First and foremost, I want to express my deepest gratitude for the incredible outpouring of support, kind messages, generous donations, and love I've received,' Collins said in an update posted via the Paul Bennet Airshows' Facebook page.
'It's been truly humbling and has lifted me up during some of the toughest moments. Knowing so many people are in my corner means more than I can say.'
Collins said his recovery was ongoing and his future remained uncertain. After receiving medical care in Melbourne for several weeks, Collins has since been transferred closer to home in Sydney.
'I've been lucky to be in the care of amazing medical teams in both cities. Their skill, compassion, and dedication have been nothing short of extraordinary,' Collins wrote.
'Most of my general injuries are healing well, but I do have spinal damage. While I can move my legs – which I'm incredibly grateful for – I don't yet have full feeling in my legs or waist. Ongoing rehabilitation will be key, and I'm giving it my all.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Perth Now
4 hours ago
- Perth Now
Perth surfer's plea to find local hero who ‘saved' her legs
A Perth local paddled out to a popular surf spot when disaster struck, leaving her in need of major surgery — but a kind act from a local surfer might just have saved her arms and legs. Dominique Ploegmakers headed to Trigg Beach on August 7 for a morning surf with her partner Joel and sister-in-law, Eron. While Joel paddled out the back, Ms Ploegmakers stayed in the shallows to surf with Eron close to the Trigg SLSC. Despite thinking she was safe in the shallows, a huge wave approached the shore, leaving Ms Ploegmakers in the 'danger zone.' She tried to get under the wave by flipping the board upside down and holding onto the rails while underwater, but the power of the wave tumbled her in the whitewash. 'I tried to do a turtle roll because I didn't want to ditch my board in case I hurt somebody, but just misjudged the size and power of the wave quite badly and ended up getting dumped, my board hit me on the head,' Ms Ploegmakers told PerthNow. Dominique Ploegmakers headed to Trigg Beach on August 7 for a morning surf when the accident occurred. Credit: Instagram 'When I finally surfaced I was so so dizzy and disoriented.' Ms Ploegmakers was immediately assisted by a surfer who saw the wipe out occur and was straight on hand to help. 'This other surfer was there straight away asking if I was alright and helped carry my board and steady me with Eron under my other arm. He and Eron helped me down on the beach where I laid down and got some help from the lifeguards and then the ambo's took me to the hospital from there,' Ms Ploegmakers said. Ms Ploegmakers CT scan shows the full extent of the spinal damage: pre-surgery on the right and post-surgery on the left. Credit: Facebook Ms Ploegmakers had to undergo major surgery to realign her spine and is waiting for a second surgery on August 14 which will involve titanium plating around her C5-T1. Miraculously, doctors have assured Ms Ploegmakers that she doesn't have any neurological defects so far, which is partly due to the fact that she had two people to help her out of the water and keep her as still as possible. Ms Ploegmakers has shared details of the accident on Facebook, in an attempt to find the kind local who helped her get to shore. 'He was probably mid 30's, moustache, short board I think,' Ms Ploegmakers wrote in the caption. 'This guy potentially saved my arms and legs!! Just wanted to say I'm so thankful.' The post has more than 400 reactions and many were quick to comment on how lucky the young Aussie was. ' lucky you still have mobility after that ...I had a similar injury 20 years ago and was told I'd never surf again,' one person said. 'What a save that was!!! So glad this awesome guy was out there to help you. I've just gone through spinal surgery myself, so props to you,' another person commented. Ms Ploegmakers is keen to find the kind man who helped her and has urged anyone who knows who this might be to make contact with her, or alternatively with PerthNow. 'I'm really looking forward to getting back on my feet, hopefully we find this guy!' she told PerthNow.


The Advertiser
19 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Body image concerns as teens seek health advice online
Teenagers risk being exposed to misinformation and harmful body image content as they turn to social media for health information. Research published by The Royal Children's Hospital on Wednesday found that while two-thirds of teens get health guidance from social media, more than a third wished their bodies were different after viewing content. Fitness and diet are among the most popular topics being accessed by teenagers on the platforms. Year 9 student Willow told AAP social media can be a harmful place as it applies pressure for young people to fit certain societal standards of beauty and body image. She said health and wellness treatments such sun tanning were widely discussed among friends at school and on social media, making them hard to avoid. "Recently I've seen (content) romanticising tan lines," she said. "It's probably not the best thing for young skin or those more prone to melanoma." The National Child Health Poll surveyed more than 1400 Australian parents, and one of their children aged between 12 and 17 years old. It found that many teens make health decisions based on social media content, with more than a third having tried or considered something new after seeing it online. Willow said she had seen peers trying trends like switching to retinol in their skincare routines, which isn't recommended for young people. Almost all young people aged 12 to 17 years use social media, with three quarters reporting it hard to know what is true and untrue. Pediatrician and director of the National Child Health Poll Anthea Rhodes said it was critical teens questioned what they saw online and learned how to find trustworthy health information. "They're being presented with huge amount of content that's often quite persuasive. It may be emotive and engaging and offers solutions or advice to common challenges that we know teenagers face," she told AAP. "This really leaves them quite vulnerable to being misled." From December, people under 16 will no longer be able to create accounts on social media platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook ,TikTok and YouTube. The study found that 86 per cent of teens and parents interviewed believed children under 16 years will still find ways to access social media once the regulation is introduced. 'Young people are still faced with a huge amount of information to navigate once they do hit 16 and can legally enter that social media space," Dr Rhodes said. Lifeline 13 11 14 Butterfly Foundation 1800 334 673 Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25) Teenagers risk being exposed to misinformation and harmful body image content as they turn to social media for health information. Research published by The Royal Children's Hospital on Wednesday found that while two-thirds of teens get health guidance from social media, more than a third wished their bodies were different after viewing content. Fitness and diet are among the most popular topics being accessed by teenagers on the platforms. Year 9 student Willow told AAP social media can be a harmful place as it applies pressure for young people to fit certain societal standards of beauty and body image. She said health and wellness treatments such sun tanning were widely discussed among friends at school and on social media, making them hard to avoid. "Recently I've seen (content) romanticising tan lines," she said. "It's probably not the best thing for young skin or those more prone to melanoma." The National Child Health Poll surveyed more than 1400 Australian parents, and one of their children aged between 12 and 17 years old. It found that many teens make health decisions based on social media content, with more than a third having tried or considered something new after seeing it online. Willow said she had seen peers trying trends like switching to retinol in their skincare routines, which isn't recommended for young people. Almost all young people aged 12 to 17 years use social media, with three quarters reporting it hard to know what is true and untrue. Pediatrician and director of the National Child Health Poll Anthea Rhodes said it was critical teens questioned what they saw online and learned how to find trustworthy health information. "They're being presented with huge amount of content that's often quite persuasive. It may be emotive and engaging and offers solutions or advice to common challenges that we know teenagers face," she told AAP. "This really leaves them quite vulnerable to being misled." From December, people under 16 will no longer be able to create accounts on social media platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook ,TikTok and YouTube. The study found that 86 per cent of teens and parents interviewed believed children under 16 years will still find ways to access social media once the regulation is introduced. 'Young people are still faced with a huge amount of information to navigate once they do hit 16 and can legally enter that social media space," Dr Rhodes said. Lifeline 13 11 14 Butterfly Foundation 1800 334 673 Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25) Teenagers risk being exposed to misinformation and harmful body image content as they turn to social media for health information. Research published by The Royal Children's Hospital on Wednesday found that while two-thirds of teens get health guidance from social media, more than a third wished their bodies were different after viewing content. Fitness and diet are among the most popular topics being accessed by teenagers on the platforms. Year 9 student Willow told AAP social media can be a harmful place as it applies pressure for young people to fit certain societal standards of beauty and body image. She said health and wellness treatments such sun tanning were widely discussed among friends at school and on social media, making them hard to avoid. "Recently I've seen (content) romanticising tan lines," she said. "It's probably not the best thing for young skin or those more prone to melanoma." The National Child Health Poll surveyed more than 1400 Australian parents, and one of their children aged between 12 and 17 years old. It found that many teens make health decisions based on social media content, with more than a third having tried or considered something new after seeing it online. Willow said she had seen peers trying trends like switching to retinol in their skincare routines, which isn't recommended for young people. Almost all young people aged 12 to 17 years use social media, with three quarters reporting it hard to know what is true and untrue. Pediatrician and director of the National Child Health Poll Anthea Rhodes said it was critical teens questioned what they saw online and learned how to find trustworthy health information. "They're being presented with huge amount of content that's often quite persuasive. It may be emotive and engaging and offers solutions or advice to common challenges that we know teenagers face," she told AAP. "This really leaves them quite vulnerable to being misled." From December, people under 16 will no longer be able to create accounts on social media platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook ,TikTok and YouTube. The study found that 86 per cent of teens and parents interviewed believed children under 16 years will still find ways to access social media once the regulation is introduced. 'Young people are still faced with a huge amount of information to navigate once they do hit 16 and can legally enter that social media space," Dr Rhodes said. Lifeline 13 11 14 Butterfly Foundation 1800 334 673 Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25) Teenagers risk being exposed to misinformation and harmful body image content as they turn to social media for health information. Research published by The Royal Children's Hospital on Wednesday found that while two-thirds of teens get health guidance from social media, more than a third wished their bodies were different after viewing content. Fitness and diet are among the most popular topics being accessed by teenagers on the platforms. Year 9 student Willow told AAP social media can be a harmful place as it applies pressure for young people to fit certain societal standards of beauty and body image. She said health and wellness treatments such sun tanning were widely discussed among friends at school and on social media, making them hard to avoid. "Recently I've seen (content) romanticising tan lines," she said. "It's probably not the best thing for young skin or those more prone to melanoma." The National Child Health Poll surveyed more than 1400 Australian parents, and one of their children aged between 12 and 17 years old. It found that many teens make health decisions based on social media content, with more than a third having tried or considered something new after seeing it online. Willow said she had seen peers trying trends like switching to retinol in their skincare routines, which isn't recommended for young people. Almost all young people aged 12 to 17 years use social media, with three quarters reporting it hard to know what is true and untrue. Pediatrician and director of the National Child Health Poll Anthea Rhodes said it was critical teens questioned what they saw online and learned how to find trustworthy health information. "They're being presented with huge amount of content that's often quite persuasive. It may be emotive and engaging and offers solutions or advice to common challenges that we know teenagers face," she told AAP. "This really leaves them quite vulnerable to being misled." From December, people under 16 will no longer be able to create accounts on social media platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook ,TikTok and YouTube. The study found that 86 per cent of teens and parents interviewed believed children under 16 years will still find ways to access social media once the regulation is introduced. 'Young people are still faced with a huge amount of information to navigate once they do hit 16 and can legally enter that social media space," Dr Rhodes said. Lifeline 13 11 14 Butterfly Foundation 1800 334 673 Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25)


Perth Now
19 hours ago
- Perth Now
Body image concerns as teens seek health advice online
Teenagers risk being exposed to misinformation and harmful body image content as they turn to social media for health information. Research published by The Royal Children's Hospital on Wednesday found that while two-thirds of teens get health guidance from social media, more than a third wished their bodies were different after viewing content. Fitness and diet are among the most popular topics being accessed by teenagers on the platforms. Year 9 student Willow told AAP social media can be a harmful place as it applies pressure for young people to fit certain societal standards of beauty and body image. She said health and wellness treatments such sun tanning were widely discussed among friends at school and on social media, making them hard to avoid. "Recently I've seen (content) romanticising tan lines," she said. "It's probably not the best thing for young skin or those more prone to melanoma." The National Child Health Poll surveyed more than 1400 Australian parents, and one of their children aged between 12 and 17 years old. It found that many teens make health decisions based on social media content, with more than a third having tried or considered something new after seeing it online. Willow said she had seen peers trying trends like switching to retinol in their skincare routines, which isn't recommended for young people. Almost all young people aged 12 to 17 years use social media, with three quarters reporting it hard to know what is true and untrue. Pediatrician and director of the National Child Health Poll Anthea Rhodes said it was critical teens questioned what they saw online and learned how to find trustworthy health information. "They're being presented with huge amount of content that's often quite persuasive. It may be emotive and engaging and offers solutions or advice to common challenges that we know teenagers face," she told AAP. "This really leaves them quite vulnerable to being misled." From December, people under 16 will no longer be able to create accounts on social media platforms such as Snapchat, Instagram, Facebook ,TikTok and YouTube. The study found that 86 per cent of teens and parents interviewed believed children under 16 years will still find ways to access social media once the regulation is introduced. 'Young people are still faced with a huge amount of information to navigate once they do hit 16 and can legally enter that social media space," Dr Rhodes said. Lifeline 13 11 14 Butterfly Foundation 1800 334 673 Kids Helpline 1800 55 1800 (for people aged 5 to 25)