A single dad has revealed how a terrifying moment at the gym left him with no front teeth and a lisp.
Ted Rixon, an operations manager from the UK, passed out during a workout after lifting a heavy weight.
According to the 32-year-old, who has been training at Zeus Gym in Hastings for over eight years, time in the gym is normally a ‘great escape and escape’ for him.
However, on this occasion his training caused more stress than relaxation as he ended up in the hospital after a blackout and fall.
Speaking about his gym habit, Ted said training has helped his mental health, adding: “I have had many ups and downs over the years with the loss of my father and sadly the mother of my child.
Ted Rixon (pictured), a 32-year-old single father of a child, has been left without his two front teeth after he passed out at the gym and fell heavily, landing on his face
“I combine working a full-time job and being a full-time dad, so the gym is a really great getaway and escape for me. It keeps me focused and relaxes me.’
In describing the incident, which took place on March 28, he said he lifted 110 kg and decided to drop back to 100 kg for his final set.
“I didn’t feel 100 percent that day and my head wasn’t fully focused,” Ted said.
“I decided to rush between my second and last set and just clean and squeeze without taking time to recover… me too [didn’t] breathe well and [tried] to clean and press in one motion, which apparently caused me to pass out and fall teeth first on the tree trunk.
“I woke up immediately after the impact and had people running towards me. I slowly realized what was happening when I spit out one tooth and felt the other wasn’t safe.
“Other gym members came over and staff and took care of me as I bled and looked like a ghost.”
Ted was rushed to the ER, where medics checked for fractures in his skull and jaw – luckily the damage was limited to just his teeth.
He said: ‘I then went to the emergency dentist after the hospital and had my other tooth and root removed, because it was cracked. This was all on the same day and of course that was a lot for one day.’
Ted (pictured just before passing out during his workout) explained how he didn’t feel his best on the day of the accident
According to Ted, the accident made him feel “really stupid.”
“Annoyingly, I decided to miss all the comfortable mats and fall on the tree trunk,” he explained.
‘I’ve been through a lot in life, so mentally [the accident] wasn’t great because I deserve a break.
“I feel strong in myself, but I’m clearly not happy with my two missing teeth.”
He added that the loss of his teeth left him lisping.
Ted said, “I have trouble pronouncing certain letters, which hasn’t been good for me mentally either.
“I posted the video [of the accident] online and made it a lighthearted heart as I’ve been through a lot worse than two missing teeth in my life.
“I’m just glad it wasn’t worse and I didn’t have a concussion or a skull fracture.
“I have pain around my mouth and lip when I bit off part of my lip, but other than that I’m alive and limp now. I’m called Thed now.’
Ted now hopes to get dental implants to replace the teeth he lost in the accident – and it’s quoted around £3,000 per tooth – a huge expense for Ted.
“Being a full-time single dad, I can’t really have that money left over,” he explained.
However, he hopes that he can raise the money and get the job done.
“The gym owners at Zeus created a GoFundMe for me without even asking, which was really nice,” he said.
After passing out, he fell down (pictured) and landed heavily on his face, instantly knocking out one front tooth and damaging the other so badly it had to be removed
Around £500 of the £5,000 target has been raised so far, with 19 donations made to the fund.
‘It really felt like my home away from home. Thank you to Chris and Jackie Green for doing that for me and to everyone who donated.”
Despite the injury, Ted says he’s thankful it wasn’t worse, and shared some advice for fellow athletes so they can avoid similar mishaps.
He said, ‘It’s not mefortunately my boy still has his father, and it’s only two teeth. Don’t rush and know when to take a break. Take more creatine.”
Ted added, “If anyone could donate too, that would be great too.”
You can find Ted’s GoFundMe page here.