I
took up handcycling after hernia surgery in 2002 and being told
around
the
same time that I have serious Osteoarthritis in my shoulders following
30 years of wheelchair transfers - lifting myself from the wheelchair
to the bed, bath, car, sofa and so on, has taken it’s toll
on my shoulders and eroded all soft tissue and cartilage.
My doctors’ recommendation was to stop exercising and to take
it easy. That didn’t sit comfortably with me, especially after
not being able to drive for three months post hernia surgery.
It was actually the joy I saw in Rodney, a great guy in the next
bed to me in hospital, whenever he talked about his handcycle and
the freedom it gave him, that caught my interest.
Rodney was right. Handcycling releases one from the confines of
a wheelchair and is a great way to explore the countryside for leisure
or indeed test oneself in competition.
I used to poodle around the bays here on
the south coast of England until I met my Cycling Coach, Rich,
an ex-Royal Marine with a “Take
no prisoners, no pain no gain attitude,” who keeps telling
me my skin is waterproof.
I have to say Rich is right and he's introduced me to competing
in local cycling club time trials with able-bodied cyclists.
I would love to get back on two wheels in the not
too distant future. My daily exercise sessions on my briliant Giger
medical device are
helping me to prepare for that day.
I
took up handcycling after hernia surgery in 2002 and being told
around
the
same time that I have serious Osteoarthritis in my shoulders following
30 years of wheelchair transfers - lifting myself from the wheelchair
to the bed, bath, car, sofa and so on, has taken it’s toll
on my shoulders and eroded all soft tissue and cartilage.
I used to poodle around the bays here on
the south coast of England until I met my Cycling Coach, Rich,
an ex-Royal Marine with a “Take
no prisoners, no pain no gain attitude,” who keeps telling
me my skin is waterproof.