The Challenge star Nelson Thomas is dedicated to getting his health back on track following the severe injuries he suffered in a car crash several months ago.
Nelson, 34, shared several videos of himself to provide motivation for others that are going through similar circumstances.
In the latest clip that he uploaded to Instagram on Saturday, the two-time Challenge finalist starts seated in a wheelchair, with his swollen lower leg area and ankle visible.
“Yo yo, what’s up everyone? I’m out here putting in this work right now. You know, a lot of people are depending on doctors and personal trainers and PT,” he said.
“What you don’t know is that you can motivate yourself and put in some extra work. That’s why I’m out here. Come check this out,” The Challenge star said.
From there, the scene shows Nelson standing on one leg using a nearby railing or fence to hold his balance as he performs repetitions of a weightless leg exercise.
Nelson shares motivational videos as he rehabs from his car crash injuries
Set to the song Tellem That I’m Comin by Lathan Warlick, Nelson’s video presented footage as he walked without assistance.
Another portion of the video has Nelson doing a side-to-side slide exercise for his legs and feet while standing alone.
The video’s final scene showed Nelson as he walked back toward his wheelchair.
While Nelson had a slight hop and made sure he didn’t overdo his walk, seeing the progress is a welcome sight as he’d been seen in a wheelchair or hospital bed for weeks after his crash.
Earlier in the week, Nelson shared a video clip of himself doing rehabilitation exercises in a swimming pool under the supervision of a physical therapist or personal trainer.
He used “My Challenge 13:7” to start his caption, referencing the biblical passage where Jesus tells Simon Peter: “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.”
“First day back in the pool. It’s ironic that the water knocked me out of so many competitions, and now I’m using it to heal my leg. Lol my enemy and my healer,” Nelson wrote in part of the caption.
Nelson’s car wreck occurred this past April, with the first reports about it not even mentioning that Nelson was the man trapped inside a burning car on the roadside. At the time of the first reports, NFL player KJ Osborn was being interviewed for being part of the rescue effort.
A week later, Nelson revealed he was the one who was inside the car and thanked Osborn and others for pulling him out of the car to safety and waiting for emergency crews to arrive at the scene.
Since the accident, Nelson had multiple hospitalizations for his injuries and health complications but was finally released several weeks ago. He shared a video clip of himself rolling out of the medical facility’s front doors in a wheelchair and promised he would return to compete in The Challenge one day.
Challenge castmates show support for Nelson’s rehab
Nelson’s recent motivational videos of his rehabilitation efforts and recovery progress received plenty of feedback from fans and castmates.
“Scuba Nelly!!! You got this,” commented castmate Tori Deal, who appeared in the World Championship and Ride or Dies with him.
“LFGGGGG!! keep beating it fam I love you,” Kaycee Clark wrote in support of Nelson.
“Bro this is huge,” Faysal “Fessy” Shafaat told his friend and castmate in the comments for his pool rehab video.
Comments also arrived on Nelson’s Saturday motivation video from several castmates, including former castmate Leroy Garrett.
“Thinking of you often bro .. love to see your progress,” Leroy commented.
Tori praised Nelly for the “Great work” in his rehab, while Fessy admired that his friend was walking again.
Nelson previously revealed that he needed multiple surgeries after his car crash, including a muscle skin graft to move muscle and skin from one lower leg to the upper area of his other leg.
Earlier this week, Nelly T shared before and after photos showing what he felt was a drastic difference in his physique over the past several months. However, castmates and fans still praised The Challenge star’s sculpted look following his lengthy hospitalization.
The Challenge: World Championship episodes are available on Paramount Plus. The Challenge: USA 2 premieres Thursday, August 10, at 10/9c on CBS.
Episodes of The Challenge are now streaming on Paramount+. Try it FREE!
The link above is an affiliate link. This means that for any qualifying purchase you make, we may earn a small commission, at no additional cost to you.