Imagine losing the memories of everything you’ve ever done, then imagine having to learn from scratch basic functions like talking, eating or going to the toilet.

This was the challenge which Shane Cooley faced when a car turned into the path of his motorbike and left him in a coma on Wednesday, September 7 2005.

He was 31 years old and had been working in Australia for a year as an engineer after completing three tours in Bosnia with the Royal Signals Corps in 1995, 1996 and 2000.

He was riding home near Sydney when a car driver failed to spot him and turned across his path just a few yards in front of him.

As a result he suffered a broken neck, a punctured lung, 16 brain injuries, and facial injuries which left him unrecognisable.

He awoke in December, and his journey to recovery began. He was supported by his parents Sylvia and Peter Cooley, from Shadoxhurst.

Shane said: “I had to learn how to eat, to brush my teeth, to go to the toilet, how to drink water. I was effectively at zero.

“It’s like I’ve only lived on this planet for 11 years.

“Before the accident was life one which I can’t remember, and then it was like being born again and starting life two.”

Shane returned to Britain in March 2006, where he lived in the Park Farm estate in Ashford with his parents who helped him learn how to go shopping, take the bus, and interact in public.

He also faced a lengthy wait for basic treatments such as physiotherapy and speech therapy from the NHS. So he visited Psicon in Canterbury, where Dr L.J Conradie put together a team to continue the recovery process.

Then from 2009 Shane began to complete more physical feats. With the help of his trainer Matt Lyons he ran a half marathon and also got back into mountain trekking.

Shane said: “I had trained as a mountain leader in the army in 1999 where I was apparently leading groups on the mountains.

“Matt was the guy who started my training, he taught me how to read a map and use a compass again and to keep everything under control.”

Then with help from Paul Lefever from charity Adventure Quest he was able to begin his mountain leader training.

He said: “There are things I can do on autopilot.

“I find mountain instructing easy and don’t have to think too much about the complexity of the skill.

“I feel lucky now that I can do my hobby from life one as my job in life two.

“When I’m top of the mountain I can say that this is the view from my office window. It’s so relaxing and I’m in my element.”

Ten years on from the accident he achieved his goal of becoming a qualified mountain leader, and earlier this year he took his first group to Snowdonia.

He said: “When people say what I’ve done is inspirational, I don’t know what to say. This has affected my family and friends more than it has affected me.

“I can’t really comprehend it, and it’s been harder for them to deal with than it has been for me.”

Shane met Philippa Deeple-Rogers in 2012, and they have now been married for three years, living together in the village of Ivychurch near New Romney.

Now he is looking forward to taking more groups to mountains in the UK, working with Carnegie Outdoors.