A guy so inspirational that we are planning to feature his story in our upcoming documentary, Mountain Biking – The untold British story, has just posted his latest Facebook update showing him walking to the hospital canteen for a coffee. Seeing Martyn’s post this morning was exactly the thing we needed after a weekend of bad news and flooding.
In September Martyn was our 2015 Reader Award winner of our Singletrack Legend category
If you don’t yet follow Martyn’s updates on Facebook then get over there and click that ‘like this page’ button. Then when you are feeling low, you have somewhere to go to get a dose of inspiration. In his latest Facebook update he explains the story behind is Parawalker device that is helping get back on his feet.
Click this image to see more inspiration from Martyn
Click here to visit the Singletrack Facebook page
Watch video of Martyn riding down Antur Stiniog’s DH Trails on a custom adapted bike in July
Martyn’s Parawalker is a special device that allows him to experience, however fleetingly, the chance to get out of his wheelchair and move on his own two feet. He was under the care of Jenny Broadbent, a senior physiotherapist from the Orthotic Research and Locomotor Assessment Unit (ORLAU) at RJAH, who worked alongside physio Rob Fox and Technical Instructor Jayne Jones. The team develop engineering solutions for disabled patients and the Parawalker is one of the solutions they offer to help paralysed patients get a taste of being back on two feet.
“It’s not really a form of transport,” said Martyn, who lives in Margam, near Port Talbot in south Wales, with his wife Lisa and son Alfie, 15.
“I won’t be walking to Tesco in it any time soon. “But, when you’ve been in a wheelchair for so long, it’s a really great experience to be upright again.
“It’s good for your bone density, your blood pressure, your circulation. It allows your internal organs to move to their proper positions. There are a lot of different reasons for doing it.
“To be mobile is a really strange experience for me. It’s really hard work and I found it very tiring on my shoulders, but I love that ache; that feeling of having done exercise.
“It felt like I was defying all the rules. I did three laps of the gym the other day and I am paralysed – that is kind of funny.
“Jenny and the team from ORLAU have been amazing. Their enthusiasm and dedication is infectious. They told me it would be hard work but that is what’s cool for me – I wanted a challenge.”
Martyn is glowing in his praise for everyone he has encountered at RJAH, from his consultant Mr Naveen Kumar to the nursing, therapy and support staff he has worked with along the way. He was first admitted to the Midland Centre for Spinal Injuries (MCSI), a dedicated unit at the hospital comprised of two wards – Wrekin and Gladstone.
“I’ve worked with Mr Kumar from the start of my time at RJAH and he’s been wicked, he’s been so good the whole way through,” said Martyn. “I was put on Wrekin Ward when I first came to the hospital and it was very calm, I basically had a big lie-in for nine weeks.
“I slowly worked my way around onto Gladstone Ward, I started physio then, and they really pushed me on – people like Kate Betts (a Therapy Support Worker) are really tough cookies!
“They are all so positive and don’t seem to have an off day, they really want you to progress. They do an amazing job of focusing on every detail, like how you are going to live when you go home, how you can make it work for you.
“They build a programme which is bespoke to you – it’s an amazing service.”
Learn more about the RJAH here
Comments (1)
Comments Closed
Great to see Martyn, keep up the good work!