How Colin Jackson got a spring back in his step

World champion athlete Colin Jackson has paid a very painful price for a glittering career as a sprinter and hurdler for Great Britain and Wales. His sporting success took a serious toll on his knees, which suffered a terrible battering for years.

Colin, now 58, won an Olympic silver medal in 1988 in Seoul, became world champion twice, world indoor champion once, was undefeated at the European Championships for 12 years and was twice Commonwealth champion.

His world record of 12.91 seconds for the 110m hurdles stood for nearly 13 years and his 60 metres hurdles world record for nearly 27 years. But as well as his collection of medals, he was left with extensive damage to his kneecaps, cartilage, ligaments and tendons.

Serious aches, chronic pain, and reduced mobility dogged his post-athletics career in the media and, during appearances on Strictly Come Dancing and Dancing On Ice, he was literally smiling through the pain.

His 2005 stint on Strictly saw him come second with his dance partner Erin Boag and, in 2006, Colin became the first competitor who had not won the main series to win the Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special.

"Doing the jive with all those flicks was absolute agony. I was dancing through gritted teeth, in so much pain and hating every minute of that dance," he recalls today.

In 2021, Colin was on Dancing On Ice with Klabera Komini and came third. Once again he was determined not to let his dodgy knees get in the way of his competitive nature. By then he had undergone eight knee operations, but remained in agony.

"I would have to spend a couple of hours in the morning just warming up and stretching to keep mobile," he says. "I was always in pain and it was time consuming just to get going.

"Getting in and out of the bath was very awkward too. I was taking anti-inflammatories most days and that ruined my gut."

So in 2021, Colin opted for groundbreaking non-invasive treatment on his knees, what he called his "last roll of the dice" before knee replacement surgery or a wheelchair. Over more than a year, he had powerful physiotherapy, bio-regenerative and stem cell treatments administered by Dr Aamer Khan and his team of physios and orthopaedic surgeons at London's Harley Street Skin Clinic.

Dr Khan is a renowned expert in regenerative treatments, anti-ageing, genealogy, nutrition, and longevity. His orthopaedic surgeon colleague is also known for his expertise in knee and shoulder surgery, including sports injuries and arthroscopic procedures.

He has a particular interest in sports injuries and regenerative therapies like stem cell treatment.

"What we have been able to do with this is to take his knee joints back in time," he explains. "We have settled the inflammation and his pain and regenerated the tissues to improve his mobility and stiffness, thereby restoring some of the function."

The results have been life-changing for Cardiff-based Colin.

"Before the treatment I was in constant pain but you learn to live with it," he says.

"There was a real anxiety about not being able to do the things I love, whether it's running, skiing, or just staying active. So, if there was a way to prevent that decline, I wanted to start the process as early as possible.

"After the treatment I remember driving to Wrexham University, where I'm chancellor, and usually, after a three-and-a-half-hour car journey, I'd be in agony getting out of the car. I'd be locked into the driver's seat. But this time, I got out, and there was no pain. I didn't have to unfold my legs and that was a real 'wow' moment for me."

Dr Khan adds: "We had talked for a while and when Colin did try the stem cell treatment - the actual transfer from his hips to his knees was early 2022 - he was committed to the Dancing On Ice series.

"The rehabilitation had to be carefully managed, but he is the model patient and his journey shows that there are serious natural alternatives to invasive surgical procedures and the 'bionic approach' such as knee and hip replacement."

The treatment, which avoids a traditional knee replacement operation with all the risks and recovery time that entails, costs around £25,000 privately for both knees compared to the cost of around £30,000 for two traditional knee replacement operations, bearing in mind Colin had already had eight operations.

Dr Khan believes in an ideal world the NHS would be able to offer stem cell treatment early for patients before they got to the stage where a worn-out knee needs replacing.

"Our goal is to see less knee replacement ops and more reliance on regenerating the joint in this way," he says.

"By using this method early enough before the disease progresses you reduce the need to operate. Unfortunately there is such a huge backlog of people waiting for knee replacements and the NHS cannot cope with introducing a new procedure without more investment.

"The beauty of this treatment, especially for Colin, who was in the middle of Dancing On Ice when we treated him, is there is no significant downtime. With a knee replacement op it takes the average person at least two months to recover and with Colin, to get his muscles built back up to how they were, it would have been longer.

"The risk of infection is minimal too because you are not undergoing a major operation."

Now with his rejuvenated joints and rigorous training regime - including regular 5K runs and weight training - Colin has since been jokingly compared to the Six Million Dollar Man. There has even been speculation about a return to competitive sport.

"People keep asking if I'll compete in veteran events," says Colin. "But I'm not interested and I think Dr Khan would have something to say. I just want to stay as fit as I can for as long as I can. Maybe I will need top-up treatment but my knees aren't suffering the wear and tear they did as an athlete and, four years on, I remain pain free."

Since he retired from athletics in 2003 aged 36, Colin has become a familiar face on the BBC's athletics coverage. He also serves as international director and brand ambassador for Sport4Kids, an organisation dedicated to transforming children's sport.

Colin has also been a dedicated advocate for charities such as Prostate Cancer UK and Bowel Cancer UK, using his platform to promote health and wellbeing.

A lifetime of professional sports has ingrained in Colin a disciplined approach to health and lifestyle. He maintains a balanced diet, avoids smoking, and embraces a holistic view of fitness, but insists he is no zealot.

"I'll have a glass of champagne with friends, and I like pasta and pizza, but I'm not obsessive about anything," he says. "It's important to have balance."

With his media and mentoring work, and another exciting TV project on the horizon, it seems the former track speedster isn't slowing down just yet.

And his regenerated knees have certainly given him a real spring in his step.