Brave mum battling MS cycles round Loch Ness for charity

Nicola Forbes taking part in Etape Loch Ness in aid of MS charity. Picture: Contributed

Can’t is not a word that Nicola Forbes allows in her vocabulary.

After being told by doctors that she had developed MS her response was to go straight from her doctor appointment back to work.

When pins and needles in her feet and legs made running less enjoyable, she got on her bike instead and started training for the 66-mile Etape Loch Ness – an event she completed last year almost two hours quicker than predicted.

Now, almost two years after the devastating diagnosis, she once again showed MS who the boss is by taking part for the second year running.

The 42-year-old mum-of-two from Inverness said: “The day I was diagnosed with MS I realised that I had a choice. I could either sit on the couch and cry about it, or I could get on with my life. I chose to get on with my life.

“I went back to work that afternoon and that weekend I rented a kayak. It was always something that I’d wanted to try, so I decided to give it a go.

“I want to enjoy my life, not feel sorry for myself, and instead of focusing on the things I may no longer be able to do, I focus on what I can do.”

Nicola joined around 4,000 other riders for the Etape Loch Ness on Sunday, and completed it in 3 hours, 59 minutes and 48 seconds.

She said: “Sunday was the perfect day. The weather was beautiful, and the loch was really tranquil. It was fantastic.

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“Anyone who knows me knows that I am very competitive, and I really wanted to beat my time from last year.

“I was a bit gutted when I didn’t, but it was still a brilliant day and a great opportunity to ride around Loch Ness on closed roads.”

She added: “As I made my way around the loch, I had friends and family cheering me on.

“People from work were staying in Foyers and got up early to see me pass through the village, and there were also people at Inverfarigaig and at the finish line. I could feel myself welling up whenever I passed them.

“I had set myself a fundraising target of £200 for the MS Therapy Centre Inverness, but in the end I managed to raise around £2,700.

“I have been amazed at how kind everyone has been. It’s really heart-warming and lovely to see so many people rallying together to support a great cause.

“I’m about to start training for a duathlon in June, and I’ve got a walk from Fort Augustus to Inverness planned for the summer. But I’ll definitely be back at Etape Loch Ness in 2017. I have a score to settle.”

Speaking about her illnes, Nicola said: “I think the key to coping with a condition like MS is talking to people about it. I’ve never hidden my diagnosis and I talk openly about it.

“I know that some people keep it to themselves, but I think doing that only allows the illness to eat away at them.”

Nicola, a car dealership business sales manager, started experiencing tingling in her legs up to her groin, in 2014. At the time, she was training for a duathlon, but continued on with her almost daily runs.

The sensation eventually travelled into her fingers and hands, and she then made an appointment with the doctor.

She said: “It was a very odd sensation, almost like my feet felt claustrophobic in my shoes. I then started to get tingling in my groin and my hands, and eventually it travelled into my chest.

“I remember doing some internet research and MS came up as a possible cause, but as I didn’t have any other symptoms like feeling tired or unwell, I thought it couldn’t possibly be something like that.

“I had a lot of tests and x-rays and one by one they came back and the doctors were able to rule out lots of different conditions.

“They advised me not to take part in the duathlon and I had a horrible weekend at home when I wished I could be out taking part.

“A few months later I went for a scan and they could see inflammation in my neck. It was then that they diagnosed MS.

“It’s not uncommon for people to be diagnosed at my age, but because it has not advanced much in the past year or so we hope that it will not progress too much,” Nicola explains.

Nicola now follows a blood type diet, along with multi-vitamins, for her condition and is not following any medication. She no longer runs because of MS, but is grateful that she has now discovered a real passion for cycling.

Sunday’s Etape Loch Ness event was the biggest to date and brought with it a welcome boost in fundraising for official charity Macmillan Cancer Support, whose riders have raised around £150,000 for the worthwhile cause – a figure which will rise in the coming weeks.

Local businesses, including hotels, restaurants and shops, also enjoyed an off-season spike in sales.

Event director Malcolm Sutherland says, “We are absolutely thrilled that the biggest Etape Loch Ness so far was also the best. We have had some fantastic feedback, and it’s a joy to see that the months of planning and organisation were all worth it.

“Since our first sportive in 2014, we have strived to spread the word about cycling in the Highlands and we’re delighted to have been able to bring more riders than ever before to the area this April.

“Everyone involved in organising Etape Loch Ness would like to offer a huge thank you to all of our partner agencies, communities along the route and the public, without whose support Etape Loch Ness would not be able to run.”

Paul Bush OBE, VisitScotland’s Director of Events, said: “We are delighted that, once again, Etape Loch Ness has demonstrated to keen cyclists from all over the UK and further afield exactly why Scotland is the perfect stage for cycling events.

“The event organisers have done a tremendous job in creating a unique cycling experience in one of the most scenic settings the Scottish Highlands has to offer, which has been absolutely key in the incredible popularity of an event that continues to go from strength to strength.”

The fastest male rider across the finish line was James Davidson from LSDW CC in a time of 2 hours 53 minutes and 37 seconds.

The fastest female cyclist for the second year in a row was Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games Team Scotland member Lee Craigie from Moray Firth CC in 2 hours 57 minutes and 51 seconds.

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