Young learner overcomes a serious car accident and brain injury to win national education award 

A teenager whose education was interrupted by a major car accident resulting in severe physical and cognitive injuries has won a prestigious national award. 

Anya Clair originally joined the City of Wolverhampton College in 2022 to study the NCFE CACHE Level 2 Certificate in Health and Social Care, before her path was tragically interrupted aged 17 when driving with her friends. 

Despite a grim prognosis, including the prediction that she might never walk again, and facing significant cognitive impairment and blindness in one eye, Anya returned to college a year later with an unwavering determination to complete her qualification.   

This remarkable feat was achieved despite severe short-term memory loss, which made lessons – particularly maths – incredibly challenging. Anya bravely faced the challenge, driven by a desire to complete the course that had been interrupted by her accident. 

She said:

“I ended up in intensive care. I had to go into a coma. I couldn’t speak, I couldn’t talk, and I couldn’t walk. I don’t remember any of this, but this is what I was told. Then I woke up and went into a normal ward and I was there for a while. I think it was two months, or two and a half, and I just got really depressed.  

“I lost my sight in my left eye and I got a brain injury. Having one eye is really bad; it makes it so hard every day because I struggle to see and I knock into people all the time. And [with] the brain injury, my memory is so bad, and I get so confused.” 

Anya’s perseverance and resilience has now been recognised through a national accolade as part of the education charity and leader in vocational and technical learning NCFE’s Aspiration Awards, after being named Against All Odds winner for 2025.   

Now continuing her education, Anya has been inspired by those who looked after her following her accident, especially the nurses in intensive care. She is also keen to support others who have faced similar experiences with brain injury.  

Delia Whitworth, Health and Social Care lecturer at City of Wolverhampton College, said:

“When Anya came back after her accident, she was obviously very traumatised and she came back with quite a few physical issues that really impacted her daily life. Even getting out of bed in the morning to get to college was a really big ask for her. 

“But she’s just incredible. She kept coming in every single day, persevered despite everything. She achieved her award at the end but, more importantly, she thrived during that year despite all the adversity.” 

After receiving ungraded results in English and maths last year, despite achieving previous grades of 3 and 2, Anya’s hard work is paying off and her recent English mock exam shows she is on track to regain her grade 3.  

Anya’s commitment extends to her attending weekly sessions by the organisation Headway – a UK-wide charity that works to improve life after brain injury. Its collaboration with the college to support her cognitive function further demonstrates her proactive approach to overcoming the challenges she has faced.   

She added:

“Car accidents are a big thing [but] you can’t let it stop you. You can’t give up because then you’re just letting yourself down. I really want to do nursing. I look at intensive care, like when I was there. I just looked at the place and I was like; they are amazing I would love to do this job.”    

Anya’s dedication to her studies, coupled with her own experiences of health and social care, are a reminder of why further professionalisation and recognition for these essential sectors is needed. NCFE’s Why Should I Care? campaign is marking the 80^th anniversary of CACHE qualifications and celebrates those working in education, early years, and social care by showcasing their importance to everyday life. 

Highly commended in this year’s Against All Odds award is Theresa Jackson, a disabilities rights activist using her lived experience and education to inspire others. Theresa lives with Cerebral Palsy, borderline personality disorder, and diabetes. She has physical disabilities that, for example, make typing very challenging. 

Despite previous setbacks, Theresa enrolled on an NCFE CACHE Level 2 Diploma in Care. Alongside this, she works as a training facilitator for the Oliver McGowan programme, volunteers with the Fantastic Freddies Foundation, organising activities for people with disabilities, and is a fundraiser for Disability Rights UK.  

Theresa hopes to one day run her own charity and has a YouTube channel with over 3,000 subscribers where she provides an insight into her unique experiences of living with disability – focusing on promoting independence and raising awareness about topics such as diabetes, mental health, disability rights, and autism.