North Yorkshire student to go into dream field after life-changing accident

Alan is set to study aerospace engineering (Image: Provided)

A TEENAGER who was paralysed in a life-changing accident that meant he was unable to join the RAF is celebrating A-level success and a bright future in aerospace.

Eighteen-year-old Alan Nowicki, who is from Ripon and attended the city's Grammar School, is set to study aerospace engineering at Loughborough University after achieving strong A-levels in maths, physics, and chemistry.

At 15, Alan was paralysed from the waist down after a pull-up bar accident and was forced to rethink his childhood dream of becoming an RAF pilot.

• North Yorkshire student battles to win place at university in Paris
• LIVE - A-Level results day 2026 for York, North, and East Yorkshire

He said: "I am really happy with my results and that I’ve secured a place at my first-choice university.

"It feels really good knowing that the things I thought weren’t possible after the accident still are in some way and it has given me a new perspective on things."

Instead of giving up on aviation, Alan has redirected his ambitions toward becoming an aircraft designer.

He has already passed his driving test in a specially adapted car and completed a glider flight during work experience at the Yorkshire Gliding Club.

Alan Nowicki

(Image: Provided)

Alongside his studies, Alan has kept up with a rigorous physiotherapy routine, doing around three hours of exercises six days a week.

His mother, Kamila, said that seeing Alan healthy, independent and continuing with his education was a huge achievement for the family.

She said: "Much as I believed in him it was a stressful time waiting for the results, as finding the university with the right accessibility features suitable for his needs wasn’t easy. Once found, the pressure and hopes were very high."

With university now on the horizon, Alan is moving closer to a future he once thought was out of reach, with Ripon Grammar School adding that his determination is an inspiration to everyone at RGS.