A boy who miraculously survived a freak skydiving accident will compete in a charity fun run in honour of the man who died saving his life.
Elijah Arranz was just 14 when his parachute malfunctioned, forcing him and instructor Tony Rokov, 44, to fall about 20 metres before hitting the ground in Goulburn in November 2015.
Mr Rokov died instantly, having heroically twisted his body around the teenager to protect him.
Elijah suffered multiple injuries, including a fractured skull, jaw, face as well as injuring his pelvis and ribs.
Elijah Arranz (pictured) was just 14 when his parachute malfunctioned, forcing him and instructor Tony Rokov, 44, to fall around 20 metres before hitting the ground in Goulburn in November 2015
Elijah (pictured with his mum) suffered multiple injuries from the freak accident, including a fractured skull, jaw, face as well as injuring his pelvis and ribs
Skydiving instructor Tony Rokov died instantly on Saturday around 2pm in a freak accident when a wind gust slammed the man to the ground in Goulburn, in the south of NSW
He was hailed a hero after witnesses claimed they saw the 44-year-old position himself to give his 14-year-old passenger the best chance of survival, cushioning his landing despite it putting him in an almost certainly fatal position
He has had to learn talk again after suffering a traumatic brain injury from the accident.
Since the crash he has been wheelchair-bound as he can only walk short distances.
Despite his struggles, he has committed to competing in Sydney's City to Surf this year - which he will do in honour of Mr Rokov.
The 17-year-old will be pushed in his wheelchair by a manager from his local gym as his father Jose Arranz runs alongside.
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Share'I will be thinking of Tony pretty much the whole way, all around the track, and I'll be high-fiving as many strangers as I can,' he told 9news.
Mr Arranz said they think of Mr Rokov daily, and Elijah even plans to get a tattoo in honour of his saviour.
'We don't take for granted what we got in return for his sacrifices. I think all of us just daily try to do the best we can. It was such a big sacrifice so it makes you think about what you do with your life,' Mr Arranz said.
Elijah Arranz from Canberra was initially placed in an induced coma after sustaining a serious head injury after a freak skydive accident at Goulburn, NSW in 2015
The teenager was airlifted to Royal Randwick Hospital in Sydney's east after the horrific accident
Friends and family were seen consoling each other at the site of the crash (pictured) in Goulburn, south NSW
Mr Rokov was a member of the Australian Defence Force for more than two decades and had extensive experience parachuting in 'hostile environments under challenging operational conditions, according to his LinkedIn account.
The married father-of-two from Cronulla, in Sydney's south, delivered training programs for hundreds of defence force members and was selected as 'one of the few' Australian recruits tasked with training units from the French Foreign Legion.
In 2013, he became an Air Operations Manager for the 2nd Commando Regiment, where he helped prepare 'dangerous' training activities designed to prepare his trainees for high-risk situations in the field.
The experienced skydiving instructor, who had more than 5,000 jumps under his belt, was hailed a hero after witnesses claimed they saw the 44-year-old position himself to give his 14-year-old passenger the best chance of survival, cushioning his landing despite it putting him in an almost certainly fatal position.
How the freak skydiving accident happened:
Tony Rokov, 44, had been skydiving with 14-year-old Elijah Arranz, from Canberra, when a sudden gust of wind their parachute to fail during a tandem jump.
The pair fell about 20 metres to the ground, crashing in Goulburn, New South Wales.
Mr Rokov twisted his body to cushion the teenager from the impact of the crash - helping to save his life.
He bore the brunt of the impact and died at the scene.
Elijah was placed in an induced coma at Sydney's Children Hospital after sustaining a serious head injury.
He suffered a fractured skull, jaw, face as well as injuring his pelvis and ribs.
Elijah's rehabilitation is still ongoing - four years after the accident.
Now 17, he plans to study either business or accounting part-time next year.
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