How Colin Jackson got a spring back in his step

The former Olympic sprinter, hurdling champion and Strictly Come Dancing star on the non-invasive knee treatments that finally got him moving. By Karen Rockett

- Karen Rockett

World champion athlete Colin Jackson has paid a very painful price for a glittering career as a sprinter and hurdler for Great Britain and Wales. His sporting success took a serious toll on his knees, which suffered a terrible battering for years.

Colin, now 58, won an Olympic silver medal in 1988 in Seoul, became world champion twice, world indoor champion once, was undefeated at the European Championships for 12 years and was twice Commonwealth champion.

His world record of 12.91 seconds for the 110m hurdles stood for nearly 13 years and his 60 metres hurdles world record for nearly 27 years. But as well as his collection of medals, he was left with extensive damage to his kneecaps, cartilage, ligaments and tendons.

Serious aches, chronic pain, and reduced mobility dogged his post-athletics career in the media and, during appearances on Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing On Ice, he was literally smiling through the pain.

His 2005 stint on Strictly saw him come second with his dance partner Erin Boag and, in 2006, Colin became the first competitor who had not won the main series to win the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special.

PAINFUL

"Doing the jive with all those flicks was absolute agony. I was dancing through gritted teeth, in so much pain and hating every minute of that dance," he recalls today.

In 2021, Colin was on Dancing On Ice with Klabera Komini and came third. Once again he was determined not to let his dodgy knees get in the way of his competitive nature. By then he had undergone eight knee operations, but remained in agony.