If You Fall : O Books : 9781905047888 : 1905047886 : 29 Sep 2006 : GOLD MEDAL in road cycling at the 2016 Rio Paralympics SILVER MEDAL in road cycling at the 2012 London Paralympics. Karen Darke was on a rock-climbing expedition on sea cliffs in Scotland. She fell, and was paralysed. This is her true story of exploration, not just of the world of mountains, but of the inner struggle she faces after her disaster to come back to terms with life. Out of her disability comes a strength to embrace the challenge and transform it into an opportunity to learn and grow. Despite the challenges of combining wheels with wilderness, Karen escapes the world of concrete for the inspiration and peace of mountains and the natural environment, in an evermore daring series of adventures by hand-cycle, ski and kayak. This is a real-life adventure story that will take you from the brink of death to hand-cycling the heights of the Himalayas, from bold expeditions to the rusty knife of a Brazilian spirit