Ed Jackson

Edward Thomas Bentley Jackson was born on December 2, 1988, in Bath, England. He attended Millfield School, captaining its 1st XV, and later Northumbria University. His professional rugby career began with Bath Rugby in 2007, where he made his senior debut in October 2008 and captained Bath at the Middlesex Sevens in 2009. Jackson subsequently played for Doncaster Knights in the RFU Championship, followed by London Welsh from 2011 to 2013, participating in 52 games. He then joined Wasps Rugby for two seasons from 2013 to 2015, before moving to Newport Gwent Dragons in 2015, where he played 36 matches until 2017. Jackson also represented England at international level, captaining both the U16 and U18 national teams, and was part of the England U18 side that won the Four Nations title in 2006.

In April 2017, Jackson sustained a severe spinal injury, a fractured C6/C7 joint dislocation, after diving into a shallow swimming pool. Initially told he might not walk again, he has since made a recovery, though he walks with a limp and experiences Brown-Sequard Syndrome. Less than a year after his injury, in April 2018, Jackson climbed Snowdon. A year after his accident, he and his wife, Lois, co-founded the Millimetres to Mountains (M2M) Foundation. This not-for-profit organization facilitates outdoor challenges and provides support for individuals overcoming physical and mental trauma, embodying his journey from moving a ‘millimetre’ to climbing ‘mountains’.

Following his injury, Jackson transitioned into diverse roles. In 2018, he joined Channel 4 as a reporter for their European Rugby Champions Cup coverage and also presented ‘The Big Tackle,’ a highlights show. He continued his work with Channel 4, covering events such as the Autumn Nations Cup, Autumn Nations Series, and Irish Autumn Internationals, eventually becoming a presenter for the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games and Beijing 2022 Winter Paralympic Games. In 2020, he climbed Mera Peak in Nepal to raise funds for a spinal unit. On August 23, 2025, Jackson achieved a significant milestone by becoming the first person to ascend an unclimbed 4,720-meter peak in the Tien Shan range in Kyrgyzstan. This expedition also raised funds for the Millimetres to Mountains charity and the CDI Children at Risk organization, which supports over 270 disabled children.