Press Release
07/03/25
For Immediate Release
When Finance Firm Director and International showjumper, Aisling Byrne, went to Portugal in 2018 to compete in a competition, it was supposed to be an experience filled with laughter, friends and fun.
Instead, Aisling returned to Ireland with extensive injuries and the prognosis that she would never walk again, after the horse she was riding reared up and fell backwards on top of her, after being spooked by a passing tractor.
Reflecting on that fateful day in February, Aisling details the events leading up to the accident. While the horse wasn’t her own, she had been looking after it for months and knew it well.
She continued: “It was just one of those freak accidents where it had a phobia of tractors, and a tractor from the show drove past very fast and spooked it. The horse got upset, reared up and lost its balance, falling back on me.
“The horse landed square on top of me and crushed a lot of my mid-section, I had broken hips, a shattered pelvis, extensive spinal injuries and internal injuries.
“When I got to hospital, the diagnosis was not good, I was bleeding internally and had to be revived several times during surgery because I had stopped breathing.
“I struggled to come around after the coma, and when I did, I had so much damage to my hips and spine, they told me that I would be wheelchair bound for life.
“In the blink of an eye everything changed. It was the most profound life lesson that nothing is guaranteed to stay the same.”
Despite describing a series of events that would leave most people traumatised, Aisling exudes positivity. Her determination and optimism are impossible to miss.
With a smile still painted on her face, she continued: “It was one of the tougher days but even in hospital, with everything that happened, I was determined to keep positive and smiling.
“I think your inner strength comes forward in one of those situations. You can only control what you can control, and all I could control during that time was staying positive.
“It taught me how much your outlook and positive attitude can actually physically help your recovery. I think this attitude helped speed up my recovery.”
After multiple surgeries and three months of being completely bedbound, Aisling was able to start physiotherapy and begin the long process of learning to walk again.
She spent about two and half years on crutches, and despite being warned that she would never sit on a horse again, it was always her goal.
With some creative planning and the support of her family, Aisling was able to sit on her very first horse and walk around her house twice. Fast forward to 2025, seven years after the accident, she is back showjumping and competing on the international stage across Europe and the USA.
Speaking to her mindset shift, Aisling said this experience taught her to live life to the fullest and to not sweat the small stuff.
You only have yourself to rely on and your mindset; everything else can change or be taken away at a moment's notice and without any warning, so it's important to be self-reliant. It’s this mindset, born out of her darkest days, that she takes with her when working at Nera Capital.
Founded in 2011, Nera Capital provides law firms around the world with funding across diverse claim portfolios in the consumer and commercial sectors.
Today, after 14 years in operation, Nera Capital has over £500 million of assets under management and growing, steadfastly providing essential financial solutions within the litigation funding sector.
Despite the challenges of the last years, Aisling was able to continue working at Nera Capital and her luxury travel business, Journey Through Ireland.
Her tough experience fuelled an even greater passion and drive, leading to exponential growth in her ventures. This journey of resilience and determination stands as her proudest achievement, as it would have been all too easy and tempting to give up.
Aisling explained: “Even in my darkest days, lying in that hospital bed in Portugal, I would just think to myself- I’m so lucky to still be here.
"My message to anyone facing hard times is don’t give up. Even when the odds feel stacked against you, keep moving forward.
"I know how hard it can be - those moments when everything feels impossible, when the weight of it all makes you want to stop. But it’s in those moments that you find out what you are truly made of and what sort of person you really are - a single thread of hope can make all the difference. Hold on to it, keep taking one step at a time and most importantly, enjoy life - time is precious.”
(ENDS)
About Nera Capital
· Established in 2011, Nera Capital is a specialist funding provider to law firms.
· Provides Law Firm Lend funding across diverse claim portfolios in both the Consumer and Commercial sector.
· Headquartered in Dublin, the firm also has offices in Manchester and Holland.
· Member of European Litigation Funders Association