Hurt cyclist rides high for charity

BEING hit by a car and badly hurt as you're thrown from your bike would put most people off cycling for life.

But Livingston man David Gisbey is conquering his fears and getting back in the saddle for charity on the same mountain bike he was riding when he was hit by a car in Sighthill.

IT architect David, 50, of Bellsquarry in Livingston, had to have four operations on his wrists after the accident but plans to pedal from Paris to Geneva in just six days to raise 2500 for Capability Scotland.

Describing the incident, which happened six years ago, he said: "The car scooped me up into the air and threw me into the other lane.

"I landed with the bike still under me, but the bike sprang back up again and I had to dive clear of it, which involved me talking my whole weight on my hands. The only thing damaged on the bike was the saddle."

David, who has two daughters, Rosalind, 20, and Jillian, 18, with wife Helen, sustained soft tissue damage and had to have bone and cartilage removed from his wrist.

"I had a lot of pain and difficulty doing things," he says. "At the worst stage I couldn't use a keyboard, mouse or pen. Now I can ride a normal bike but I have to use wrist supports to take a fair bit of the pressure off. I was very nervous when I started cycling again and I'm still nervous about cars coming towards me from side streets."

But he's up for the September challenge, he said: "I got a letter from the occupational therapist which used the word 'disability'. Up until that point, I hadn't really thought of it like that. I've been very lucky to make an almost full recovery, but I found the whole experience very difficult.

"I was shocked to find out just how hard it was to get help to overcome everyday obstacles and have often found myself battling against a lack of understanding, and apathy."

One frustrating experience saw David attempt to secure a bike through the UK Government's Cycle to Work scheme, in which employees can apply for tax-free bicycles through their work.

In view of his injuries, he was advised to apply for a recumbent bike, which places the rider in a reclining position.

But he was told the maximum spend allowed was 1000, while he needed 1700. "I just felt nobody wanted to help," he says. "For me, it wasn't really about the money."

David - who was East of Scotland champion at throwing the hammer in the late 1990s - is looking forward to the trek, which will take in beautiful mountain scenery. He is covering the cost of the trip himself so money raised will go directly to Capability Scotland.

Donations can be made at www.justgiving.com/David-Gisbey