A Leeds mother has issued a stark warning to gym-goers after a heavy squat went catastrophically wrong, leaving her with two broken ankles. Kia Kidd, a 34-year-old beautician, suffered the severe injury while attempting to lift 120kg, a weight she had managed previously, but without crucial safety measures in place.
The Moment of the Accident
Wince-inducing footage captures the precise moment Kia's ankles buckle underneath her at the bottom of the squat. As she realised she couldn't complete the lift, she attempted to throw the bar away from her. However, the bar snagged on her weight-lifting belt, a critical detail that worsened the accident. "The bar caught on my weight-lifting belt," Kia explained. "It was sticking out because of the way I was sat at the bottom of the lift and the 120kg bounced me down onto the floor and my ankles both flipped outwards."
The single mum-of-three was rushed to hospital by a friend she had been training with. Doctors diagnosed her with two hairline fractures in her ankles. Her recovery was long and challenging, requiring her to wear a protective boot on each foot and use crutches for approximately seven weeks.
Recovery and Return to the Gym
Despite the traumatic incident, which occurred in May last year, Kia has made a full recovery. She bravely shared the horrifying clip on TikTok last week as a cautionary tale. She insists she was not 'ego-lifting', having successfully handled the weight before, but admits it was "over-cocky" to attempt it without a spotter or safety bars on the rack.
Kia's journey back to fitness was fraught with fear. "Every squat filled me with fear. I was absolutely terrified right up until recently," she confessed. However, determined not to be defeated, she returned to the gym with a coach. She has not only started from scratch but has now surpassed her previous performance levels and is aiming to compete in her first powerlifting competition early next year.
The Vital Safety Message
Reflecting on the accident, Kia pinpointed the key mistakes. "I got a little bit over-cocky... I didn't have any safety because in my mind I thought that it was fine, I'd done it before," she said. Her advice to others is unequivocal. "I'd warn people to have a spotter and use the safety on the rack."
She also revealed that hospital doctors discovered she has hypermobility, a condition involving flexible joints, which may have prevented even more severe damage. For Kia, the gym is more than just a place to train; it's a vital community and a healthy outlet, especially as a single mother. Her story stands as a powerful reminder that even for experienced lifters, proper gym safety protocols are non-negotiable.
