At 14 I broke my neck playing rugby, lay half dead, paralysed from the neck down in a hospital (to this day I can’t remember which one) somewhere in Brighton. 70 odd hours later the specialist plunged a needle into my foot….let’s just say, it was a good pain!
I sat with my family determined to walk again, however, my beloved rugby days were over. With the use of some archaic contraption that started at my head and ended at my waist walking began. Then running. Then serious running. Then competition.
18 months later I was accepted into the Crystal Palace team and from there started training as a decathlete, great times with Daley Thompson, Linford Christie, Dalton Grant, Roger Black, Kriss Akabussi, Colin Jackson and many more. Although the 5am Saturday travel from school was a killer…. Life was amazing…in only two years I had gone from that hospital bed to training four hours a day with the best athletes in the world…..it was the knees that went first.
Multiple arthroscopies led to Mr Patrick England offering pioneering full knee replacement surgery to, not one, but both knees. Knee cap, bone, cartilage, and much more were replaced with the latest tech at the time, carbon fibre, silicone and fibre. Paul Gascoigne joined me in the room next door when he had that horrific knee injury playing for Tottenham, in the FA cup final, I think. We both did the ‘Harley Street Shuffle’ together, round and round the floor! That was the end of that for a long, long while….but again, family bought me through and I was back training.
The 1988 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad, was my target. I trained harder than ever before and everyone was very confident, unless your were a spinal surgeon on Harley Street. A triple spinal problem put paid to that. Mr Henry Vernon Crock, one of the most respected spinal surgeons in the world had been testing a pioneering piece of surgery on race horses, so he asked me to be his guinea pig. The choice was clear, the spine was so bad it was a question of taking pioneering surgery with a 40% chance of success or end up wheelchair bound within 2 years. Crock opened me up. That was the end of my Olympic dream and for many years to come, the end of any dream.
Again family stepped up, pulled me through and nursed me for the two years it took to recover from the surgery….a few obligatory appearances at medical universities to show the thing worked and I was back home, lost.
20 odd years later I set up a production company with a fellow pain sufferer (Eczema), together with the charities we have worked for, our films have raised over 25 million pounds for various charities. We have filmed throughout Africa and South America and I had the privilege of working with our armed service personel in both Iraq and Afghanistan. http://www.pretzelfilms.com
Surgery has never really ceased, neck surgery (double spinal fusion) left me voiceless for 5 months as the guy snipped one of my vocal chords….unfortunately (to some) I worked hard getting the one muscle to work properly, and my voice returned!! Reconstructive shoulder surgery and many many more have been apart of my life for years.
Now, with a new family, the years have piled on the pounds. After the dreams had gone I started smoking. My physical life had died…until the other week..
Ok, so a chat with a dad at the school has left me taking on a very odd challenge. Compete in the Thomas Cook Iron Man 70.3 in Mallorca, May 11th 2013. ‘WTF’, I thought, ‘why not?’. My wife’s thoughts went something like…’your nearly 40, you’re fat, you smoke…it’s been 20 years since you did any sport…bloody fool!’
She has a point…in fact everything is true and to add to it I am a chronic pain sufferer with over 45 operations to my name. So this is no small undertaking…
So here I sit, with all of the above and 11 months to quit smoking, get fit, get sponsored and try to complete this madness!
More nutiness is involved, in a way….I am going to be raising money for Prostate cancer, something my father was diagnosed with last year, and something he kicked the nuts out of and is now clear.
So here I start…well, maybe tomorrow…
Good luck!
You probably won’t remember me from Worth School, left in 1993 and was in St Bedes. I think you were Chapman although my memory is shocking. Alex Watts and Alistair Milne-Home were mates of mine in Chapman, you may remember them.
Anyway, that is truely and amazing story and I wish you all the luck in the world. I have rheumatoid arthritis and have done for 10 years so have had a few ops and know what it is like to suffer with pain, I take loads of medication etc. but 45 operations is unreal, no one should have to suffer that.
I hope you achieve it, it would be a remarkable feat!
I do, of course remember all of you. Am so sorry you are suffering. The best I can ask is to get people following this site so I can raise money to help others and their pain.
Thanks so much for your support.
Fat Boy – the odds of you doing this are nil. However, the odds of you croaking within the next few years given your physical status and 20-40 cigarette per day habit are pretty damned good, and that would suck. If you are even marginally serious about this, step 1 is read this book http://www.jailifestyle.com/products/books/finding-ultra/. Rich is a recovered alcoholic who was exactly like you at age 40. He is now one of top 25 athletes in the world. Read his book. How to do this? Go here: http://www.trinewbies.com/. See you at the finish.
Great links, ty! Slightly daunting…is this a huge mistake…
You’re out of your bloody mind. And I’ve done some crazy stuff and am thereby aware of what it means to be out of your mind……and I am SURROUNDED by Iron Men/Women so am privy to their suffering……and have had 8 knee surgeries, and a spinal fusion, am never not in pain AND call myself an athlete. BUT I WOULD NEVER DO THIS!!!!
All that being said, I can do nothing but encourage you to go on this journey and am genuinely excited for you. And a bit jealous. The swim and the bike I could probably manage, it’s that pesky marathon you have to run at the end that makes me think twice…..
Congrats to you on taking this first step – it’s how any journey begins. I’ll be supporting you every step of the way.
But if you take smoking back up afterwards, I’ll never talk to you again.
Hiya PJ,
Christ mate….WTF!!!….. having recovered from a broken back 4 years ago I wish you all the best.
Its gotta be done…will save my own life too I feel!
You’ll be fine!
I did this one last year. The bike is a tough one
though, one hell of a climb.
Start cycling or running to work.
Join a local triathlon club.
Buy ‘my first triathlon’ bit of a ‘dummies guide’.
Do a sprint triathlon this summer, do an Olympic
distance this autumn. Get your distances up
and beyond the race distance by February
Then start trying to reduce your times and getting down to ‘race weight’ (which I’m sure will have already reduced).
It’s a great weekend, beautiful place, enjoy it!
Arran
Hi Arran,
Thanks for your post! This is sooo helpful! The big thing I need to get over is that first day of getting off my arse!
Please stay posted.
Well, as one of the boy wonders robotically improved by the magicians Roger Kirby and Peter Amoroso and their team at the Prostrate Centre Wimpole St London W1 (10 per cent for that advertisement guys) I have to applaud this effort…..although I mustered my weight loss before the op. with a few leisurely walks along the sea front….I mean why kill yourself being an iron man when you can be ironmanbollox with no effort at all…and that was three years ago and I’ve never felt better…but I suspect a lot of guts lies below this 39 yr old fat smoker…so bon chance and get supporting all you robotically improved colleagues……
Robo!! I want everyone who has ever passed through Wimpole street to be following this….please spread the word and thanks so much for your support!!
I really like people who take on a challenge. Go boy! Could make a new man of you.
If I can help – let me know. – you can go to http://www.facebook.com/motivateplus/ and download a free booklet . the No Diet Diet if it that helps you on your way at all.
Loving your Facebook page!
The first thing you should do is talk to your doctors and know all possible risks. If they give their approval (even if tentative), then go for it.
Wow. An amazing life story and massively inspirational challenge to take on. After the determination that you’ve clearly already shown over the years, and the link that this cause has your Dad, you’re totally set to succeed. Big up PJ, good luck!! x
Go PJ!
Wow, PJ what an amazing way to start a Sunday! Your story is compelling and insane in equal measure and I love it. Ignore the doubters and the people that say you can’t do this, as you can – provided you prep and put the time in. Which I’m sure you’ll do. I’m going to link you in with Jim, my brilliant trainer, and another balls-of-steel bloke who just ran the London-Brighton 100KM, with a double hernia. He will love your story and your ambition and courage. L xxxx
Great Blog and great opportunity for everyone to spread the message on prostate cancer. Your challenge is inspiring and I will meet you at the finish line!
Good luck Pj. Keep us filled in. You can do this. I’m not sure I’d have chosen Iron Man but you are young and the body responds quickly. My best!
Hi PJ, I was so amazed by your story I got off my backside and ran round the park with the dog on Sunday instead of walking, Every bit of me aches this morning but it feel good – have you got off your backside yet if not do it now! Best of luck
Love it! Still running?
Staring in the face of adversity and coming through it, I have to say, this is a compelling story of inspiration. A very brave and inspired thing to do. I wish you all the very best my friend — good luck!!.
Great cause
MON DIEU!! What a remarkable challenge, wishing you the best of luck (you might need it
keep us posted! Xx
All the best, i’m going to follow with great interest.
Amazing story. Very best of luck. My Dad just recovered from prostate cancer too so will be following you with interest.
Would love to be part of your journey. Drop me a line if you have a donation link or if there are other resources you are seeking out. Keep Rising.
Ok we need to start planning out how we WILL get you ready and through this challenge, you know I will be phoning you after my vacation so be ready…….I am coming for you…
PJ
Wow what a goal!
Never mind the knees, back and neck, your mind will get you across the finish line though evidently you need to remain intact.
If you want a knock knee half broken training partner give me a shout.
Best wishes, and the best of luck
Tom
Good luck pj I will spread the word as much as possible!
If I were wearing a hat, I’d take it off to you.
You sound like a more extreme version of me. Back 2 years ago, I was a blubbering mess and through careful nutrition (slow carb diet from Tim Ferriss’ Four-Hour Body book, followed by Occam’s Protocol from the same book to build muscle) I got rid of 62 lbs of fat and added 15 lbs of muscle in 9 months.
I then signed up for the Men’s Health Survival of the Fittest race and trained for two months for it, despite being inactive for 20+ years.
I would expect that genetically you have a big leg up on where I am, since you were a pro athlete. But the Ironman is brutal in comparison to what I signed up for. I think with all the advice given elsewhere in the comments, plus some other tips not yet mentioned (like using Pose Method running, for example, to make the marathon easier), you’ll definitely manage this.
I now run a fitness website that gives all the money it makes to charity. Would love to interview you for a story about this – let me know…