A KEEN cyclist is celebrating his 60th birthday year with 60 big bike rides to support the charity that helped him recover from a stroke.
Former RAF squadron leader Jim Phillips, from Downend, has set himself the target of cycling 3,600km (2,250 miles) in a year in aid of Bristol After Stroke.
The independent charity offers practical, social, emotional and psychological support to nearly 1,400 stroke-affected people, their carers and families each year, relying on donations to help fund its work.
Before he had a stroke in May 2020, Jim had regularly been doing long distance rides with friends in the cycling club he ran, covering up to 100 miles in a day.
He had always led an active life, with 33 years service as an engineer in the RAF, serving in several combat zones.
As he started recovering from a stroke, he says one of his first thoughts was: “When can I get back on my bike?”
Jim said: “I knew it was going to be tough, but until then I had no idea just how much the stroke had affected my energy and stamina.
“On my first ride I ran out of energy after just 15 miles, and had to crawl back the remaining miles in a rainstorm. It was devastating.”
Since then Jim has steadily increased his mileage: his 60 in 60 challenge is more than the equivalent of going from Land’s End to John O’Groats and back again.
Jim, who fits his rides around a full-time engineering job, says he is on course to reach his target by New Year’s Eve, doing trips of up to 75 miles.
He said: “I’ve been lucky to have a very supportive group of cycling friends – the ‘Church Lane Cranks’ – who have patiently been going out with me and encouraging me to keep pushing.
“I’m also keen to turn around what happened to me, and make sure that other people who have strokes can get the best possible support and care in the weeks, months and years that follow.”
Jim suffered a lacunar stroke, which happens when an artery supplying blood to the deeper portions of the brain becomes blocked, and accounts for up to a quarter of strokes.
He said: “While it was serious, and I still have symptoms, I think of myself as one of the luckier ones because the effects have not been as damaging or as long-term as some other people’s experience.”
Jim said the key to making as full a recovery as possible was receiving assistance after leaving hospital.
He said: “Some 100,000 people every year have strokes in the UK and there are 1.3 million stroke-affected people. It affects people of all ages as well as their family and friends.
“I know from the support that Bristol After Stroke gave me that every pound raised matters, as the charity could support even more people locally with additional funding.”
Jim has set himself a fundraising target of £1,000.
Donations can be made at tinyurl.com/2b2hff2m, where Jim is also posting updates on the routes he has ridden.