Welsh sporting legend Non Evans has spoken out about her “agony” and a profound “loss of identity” following a devastating hit and run incident that has irrevocably altered her life. The harrowing event took place in September 2023, when Non was tragically knocked off her bike near her home in Mumbles, Swansea, leaving her with severe injuries including a complex fracture to her right wrist and damage to her shin.
An 87-year-old woman involved in the incident drove away from the scene but was later handed down a sentence in magistrates’ court for failing to stop after an accident and driving without due care and attention. In a previous statement in February 2024, Non revealed the crash had rendered her unable to continue her work as a personal trainer, hindered her ability to perform everyday tasks, and resulted in medical complications such as sepsis.
In a recent catch-up with WalesOnline this December, Non disclosed that she’s been grappling with a significant loss of confidence and accepts that life will never revert to its former state.
An infection saw Non spend another night in hospital
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Now at 50, she’s faced additional hurdles in her recovery, describing it as a “never-ending” nightmare. Over the past 10 months, she’s endured ongoing issues with her hand not healing, necessitating repeated visits to Neath Port Talbot hospital—she’s grateful to her friend for providing transport.
After an X-ray confirmed improper healing, doctors decided to remove the pin previously inserted and conduct further surgery to assess the situation, reports Wales Online.
Non, a former international rugby player for Wales with 87 caps and numerous medals in judo, weightlifting, and freestyle wrestling, has opened up about her gruelling ordeal after undergoing wrist surgery. She recounted the moment she realised her health was in jeopardy.
There are visible scars on her right wrist and hand
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“I went back into theatre in the first week of September when the pin and my scaphoid bone, which was in bits, was removed. He used that as a bone graft to fuse my wrist and he put a plate in it with five screws. It means my wrist is fused in position for the rest of my life. I will never be able to do a press up again,” she said.
Despite being thankful for the surgery, Non noticed signs of infection during recovery.
Having previously battled sepsis, she wasted no time seeking medical attention: “The red was rising slowly up my arm, but because I had had sepsis previously, I knew what to look out for. I went straight to the hospital and they put me on a drip for the second time to stop it from going further. It was another overnight trip at the hospital. They didn’t call it sepsis this time, they called it cellulitis. It is similar but they caught it early.”
The star said she can no longer comfortably move her right hand
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The past 15 months have been a severe test of resilience for Non, not just physically but mentally, especially since her wrist fusion last September.
“I’m an international athlete in five different sports, it’s my life,” she expressed. “I’m used to training every day, training other people and being a fit person. Yes I can walk and I can do certain things, but now since it’s been fused I can’t even open a tin. If I go out for a meal I can’t cut things. [My friend] has to cut my meat for me unless I do it left handed, which is quite hard.”
“My whole life since I was born has been training, running around, doing my sport, training others, going to the Commonwealth Games and playing rugby all over the world. Yes I am retired but it does not mean that feeling inside of me of wanting to train myself and others has gone away. Physically I can do sit ups and certain things, but I can’t hold a bar to do squats, for example.”
Non revealed the shift in her identity from being someone so active is something she is struggling to come to terms with. Becoming emotional, she said: “I am still trying to keep my fitness up but I can’t physically do what I did before because my wrist is fused and I haven’t got the strength.”
“Taking that away has knocked my self-esteem and my confidence. People say I still look lovely in my clothes but I like having my muscles. My right forearm is now skinny. Being fit has always been a huge part of my identity. It’s not about vanity, it’s about my identity.”
Non’s wrist following the more recent surgery
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Former confident and celebrated sportsperson Non Evans MBE has opened up about her struggles, stating: “I’m not dying but it has changed my personality from being the confident Non Evans sportsperson MBE. Yes, I had a dip after I finished my sports career, but I picked myself back up. Now this has happened and I’ve gone downhill again. I have lost so much confidence.”
She revealed back in February that a devastating injury led her to give up her personal training job and resort to Universal Credit, alongside relying on financial support from her family. Despite still being knocked by her loss of earnings, she now works with only a few clients who need gentle training.
Explaining the situation, Non said: “I have been helping one guy who has a new knee with some exercise and a lady who had a stroke, but it’s not full time.”
She went on to express her commitment to quality coaching, lamenting: “When I train people I like doing it with them, but because I can’t do it the way I used to do and want to, I don’t do it. I could do it half-heartedly but people come to me because of my reputation – there are millions of personal trainers out there but they like having Nonnie because I’m hands on. People probably wouldn’t mind, but I mind.”
Reflecting on the drastic changes in her life since a road incident, Non expressed her frustration with the court’s decision at Cardiff Magistrates’ Court on February 20. Joyce Forbes, then 87, from Gabalfa Road, Sketty, Swansea, admitted to failing to stop after a road accident and driving without due care and attentio
Non Evans, left, playing rugby for Wales
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She received a six-month driving ban, was fined £120, and had to pay £85 costs and a £48 surcharge. Non commented: “If I wasn’t someone so fit and strong, I might have been smashed flat out on the ground. There are lots of elderly people who cycle around Mumbles and if it happened to any of them they could have been dead. If there was a car behind her, it could have gone over me, but luckily I managed to roll across. And if it wasn’t for the man who ran after her car and got her number plate she might have gotten away with it.”
One of Non’s hands became infected and later developed sepsis
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Non Evans)
She continued, discussing legal matters: “I have been speaking to a solicitor because she had a fine and a driving ban which has been over for ages. I’ve discussed my loss of earnings, my injuries and the damage to my bike which was worth £1,000. But it’s not just about that, it’s my life. The discussions with my solicitor are ongoing. Next I will need to be assessed by an independent doctor who will judge the extent of the damage to my hand. The appointments are never-ending.”
Reflecting on the profound effect the incident has had on her, Non shared: “If that incident didn’t happen to me I wouldn’t be like this and crying all the time. I didn’t leave the house for a while when it first happened because I was so embarrassed. I’m such a strong and powerful person and now I can’t even open a tin or take a top off a bottle. I’m even left-handed toothbrushing. I feel like an old woman who is still young.”