Cycling 1400 miles & climbing the 3 Peaks, with a broken back having been told I'd never walk again...

Welcome to Justgiving community Sign in | Join | FAQs | go to Justgiving.com

Cycling challenges

Started by charliechalk at 06-20-2008 22:33. Topic has 0 replies.

Search forums

Sort Posts:

06-20-2008, 22:33

charliechalk is not online. Last active: 20/06/2008 21:28:42 charliechalk

Not Ranked
Joined on 06-20-2008
Posts 2

Smile [:)] Cycling 1400 miles & climbing the 3 Peaks, with a broken back having been told I'd never walk again...

Almost five years ago I broke my back whilst serving with the military in Germany and was told that I would never move or feel my legs again. After several years of operations, intense physiotherapy and a healthy handful of luck I have now recovered to being able to walk with crutches. It is also now that I wish to prove to myself that I can still overcome my physical limitations and that is were this challenge has arisen from.

This challenge of cycling from Lands' End to John O 'Groats, climbing the Three Peaks along the way. The toal mileage is around 1400 miles and the climbing of Mount Snowdon in Wales, Scafell Pike in England and Ben Nevis in Scotland add up to over 11,000 feet of ascent and descent.

The purpose of this challenge is threefold:
    1. To show all those doctors who told me I would never walk again that their medical opinion can be wrong at times. As the quote goes: "They only did it because they know if was impossible". I have only once met a doctor who was willing to tell me, "The best case scenario is that you walk again and do everything normally and the worts case scenario is that you stay as you are or maybe get worse. You're probably somewhere in-between". Humility is a sign of strength, not weakness.
    2. To provide some inspiration to others who feel confined in life in some way. For others to realise that there is so much more we can do and achieve in our lives and half the battle is overcoming our friends' and families' beliefs in what we are capable of doing. The clearer one's vision is the easier it will be to achieve.
    3. To raise funds to further develop research into spinal cord injuries.

http://justgiving.com/traversingtheuk

Am heading off on Sunday! Can't wait to get going... :)

   Report

Justgiving comm... » Your fundraisin... » Cycling challen... » Cycling 1400 miles & climbing the 3 Peaks, with a broken back having been told I'd never walk again...