Horse's Tale Distilling Co. is a fresh start for former Wagga paramedic Adam Horsley

In his case, a life-changing tragedy was the catalyst for a new career and for Wagga's newest micro-distillery.

The former paramedic, and now distiller, will soon open Horse's Tale Distilling Co. - a life's ambition fulfilled, but the tale could have been very different.

Adam, 46, suffered "catastrophic" injuries in a "freak accident" where he was a pedestrian hit by a car. He has spent the past three-and-a-half years recovering.

"I'd been to a lot of these jobs ... people think they're in reverse but they're in forward or vice versa," he said.

"And they panic, they go to slam on the brake, they slam the accelerator on instead and just go flying ... I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

IN OTHER NEWS:

Adam's injuries were so severe that he almost lost his leg and has been left in near-constant pain. He could no longer work in paramedicine, something he'd done for 18 years.

Adam has spent the past three years being operated on every "two-to-three months", but during that time his mates would visit regularly to raise his spirits.

"They'd all come over and support me and we'd just enjoy each other's company. We were quite into enjoying a really good spirit, and we tasted and we talked about the flavour profiles."

The idea that distilling could be a new pathway for Adam came out of those bonding sessions and that love of spirits turned into a bit of an obsession with learning about booze.

"Paramedicine, it's part of my history, and I can bring that science brain into distilling. But I feel like I'm where I should be at now," he said.

"This is really exciting for me. I've never started my own business and ... having just the whole excitement of and challenge of something new."

The injuries were devastating for the whole family, Adam said, especially for his wife Fleur and their two young children.

"I suppose they lost their dad for a while," Adam said.

"When we had the accident, it was devastating, [it] changed our lives and there were points where we just thought, 'oh, what are we going to do?'," Fleur said.

Adam suffered with a loss of identity as he recovered.

He was a paramedic and once that was taken away he felt adrift.

There were periods during his recovery where he felt "useless". He relied on family and friends for everything.

"Just that feeling of helplessness. Whereas now, I feel more and more useful, and have purpose," he said.

The discovery of distilling has reignited something in Adam, Fleur said.

"He's just so much more excited about life and has found a purpose, and he's just gonna give it his all," she said. "It's a big leap, isn't it, to come from someone who saves lives to making booze?"

But Adam has now been given an opportunity many people don't get in life - a second chance.

One he's thrown himself into head first.

"I go all-in on things," he said.

"When I was a paramedic I was the highest clinical level. I was the team leader for Wagga ambulance station, when I do something I do it 100 per cent."

The business is getting ready to take off and the pair are currently waiting on a liquor licence to be able to officially start selling their wares.

Fleur will be handling the marketing and acting as "chief taste tester", while Adam locks himself away in the distilling shed. He'll be distilling gin and spiced cane spirit - the term for rum that hasn't been aged.

The bottles have been bought and the labels are designed, replete with the new company logo, a nod to the life-changing accident that brought him to his new life's work - a horse with a leg brace.

"I did identify as a paramedic ... it's taken time, but I've been able to let that go," Adam said.

"It's part of who I was, I suppose part of who I am in my history, but I'm identifying as a distiller now."

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: