War journalist to share 'Frank' account of hidden disability with islanders

Thursday 30 December 2021

A journalist who suffered life-changing injuries after being shot by terrorists in Saudi Arabia is coming to Jersey to share his story and the hidden struggles of living with a disability.

Frank Gardner, the BBC’s Security Correspondent, will will speak at the Jersey Employment Trust’s 20th anniversary conference in March 2022.

In 2004, aged 43, he survived being shot six times at close range by Al-Qaeda terrorists in a Riyadh suburb in Saudia Arabia. Against the odds Frank survived, but his injuries were life-changing. He was paralysed from the knees down, and large parts of his intestines were removed, leaving him with a colostomy bag.

This year, he presented a BBC documentary called Being Frank showing his life coping with an acquired disability and what he called ‘the iceberg beneath the surface’.

He said: "People look at somebody in a wheelchair, like me, and they probably think, 'Poor guy, I wonder if he needs a bit of help?' What they don't see is all the stuff that we have to deal with beneath the surface."

The documentary showed the practical issues he faces daily and it also gave him the chance to reflect on the long-lasting, often overlooked, impact of trauma.

Ten months after the shooting, he returned to work as the BBC’s Security Correspondent.

He went on to write the bestselling book Blood and Sand and has since written three bestselling spy thrillers and has a fourth underway. He was awarded an OBE in 2005 for services to journalism.

The Jersey Employment Trust (JET) conference, sponsored by Ogier, will be held at the L’Horizon Beach Hotel on Tuesday 1 March.

The charity will present awards to employers who have gone the extra mile when supporting in the workplace people who have a disability or long-term health condition.

Pictured: Frank Gardner was left paralysed from the knees down after being shot by terrorists in Saudi Arabia in 2004. 

JET executive officer Jocelyn Jacques said she was delighted that Frank had agreed to speak.

“Our 20^th anniversary conference is going to celebrate the 20 years since the Jersey Employment Trust was registered as a charity. 

"Mr Gardner is well known for being a witty and gifted communicator, and our flagship event will be a mix of celebrating the past and looking forward to the next 20 years in supported employment.”

A limited number of free tickets are available to employers who don’t currently work with JET. Those interested in attending should email caroline.spencer@jet.co.je.