Bristol paramedic with spine condition cycles 880 miles

A man who was once unable to walk due to a spinal arthritis condition is now cycling 880 miles (1,416 km) for charity.

Bristol paramedic Peter Willows was diagnosed with axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) in March.

Mr Willows, 40, was an active person who regularly cycled before he started experiencing severe muscle pain two years ago,

"I stopped cycling for nearly two years" he said.

Axial spondyloarthritis is a chronic inflammatory disease, affecting movement in the joints and spine.

It is often nicknamed 'bamboo spine' for its tendency to fuse bones to the spinal chord.

Mr Willows is raising money for the National Axial Spondylathritis Society (NASS), a charity that helps people live with the condition.

He set off Tuesday afternoon starting at Paignton, near Torquay, and aims to follow the west coast of France down to Barcelona.

"It didn't seem to matter how much i rested; as soon as I started to ride it felt like my body was exhausted.

"I couldn't actually move my legs. It was pointless trying to do any sort of exercise."

His pain got worse around Christmas 2021, by which time he said he could barely walk.

"It was almost a good thing I had this obscene flare up because it allowed me to get a diagnosis pretty rapidly" he added.

Now, thanks to fortnightly immunosuppressant injections, he said he has "got [his] life back".

The medication doesn't cure axSpA, but rather slows down the progression and manages symptoms.

While it is something he will have to live with, Mr Willows said he is able to do so thanks to medical advancements made in the last two decades.

"I am incredibly fortunate to live in time that I do" he said, adding that it made him "proud" to work for the NHS.

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