biker’s challenge for air rescuers

Competing at events up and down the country which are mostly held in remote, inaccessible areas, he often saw fellow competitors rescued by an air ambulance.

But it wasn’t until August last year that Ian came too close to comfort to needing the life-saving services himself.

“I’ve ridden a mountain bike for years and I was taking part in a down hill event near Ramsgill in Nidderdale when I suddenly flew over the handlebars and landed badly.”

Ian had in fact almost bent in half and in doing so broke his back and two ribs.

“I knew it was pretty bad but I was in shock and so didn’t realise quite how bad. I managed to get myself up and then laid back down.”

Ian says the organisers didn’t realise how badly he was injured either and as a result the air ambulance wasn’t called.

Instead he was put on a spine board and carried down from the top of the hill to the bottom, where he was put in a 4x4

“They laid me in the back of the 4x4 which had managed to get quite a long way up the hill. I knew it wasn’t good. Something was definitely not right with my back.”

He was then put in an ambulance and taken to Harrogate District General Hospital.

“In the ambulance they gave me morphine which helped,” said Ian.

After being seen in Harrogate Ian was transferred to Leeds for an MRI scan.

It was there he was told that he had broken two ribs and fractured two vertebrae. Luckily for Ian, however, there was no nerve damage or real concern that he may be paralysed.

Ian had to spend ten days in hospital and it was during this time that he got the idea to do some fund-raising when he eventually got out and back on his feet.

“Just the weekend before my accident I was running in the Peak District and the air ambulance was called out to someone.

“It has been called out so many times, whether it was me or a friend, I felt it was a good opportunity to raise some money.”

Ian decided to do a Three Peaks Challenge on June 23 – climbing the highest peaks in England, Scotland and Wales in 24 hours – less than a year after breaking his back.

“It is something that I have wanted to do for a while and is renowned for being a tough physical challenge so I thought it would serve as a great goal to be back to full fitness,” explains designer Ian who lives in Nottingham.

He and a team of about 15 friends are already in training for the challenge. They are also organising a Tea, Tiffin and Tunes Event at Pately Bridge on June 9 to raise further funds for the air ambulance.

The Yorkshire Air Ambulance is an independent charity providing a life-saving rapid response emergency service to five million people across Yorkshire.

The charity was set up in 2000 with the addition of the second air ambulance in October 2007

The helicopters fly seven days a week, 365 days a year, covering a vast landscape that not only includes major cities and motorways, but also rural and isolated locations.

To keep providing this life-saving service, the charity needs to raise £7,200 per day to keep both of Yorkshire’s Air Ambulances maintained and in the air. This is equivalent to £2.65m per year.

Ian and his friends aim to raise at least £7,200.

Ian he was able to walk short distances with six weeks of his accident and although he is not yet back on a mountain bike, he was on a road bike just eight weeks after the crash.

“I have been told that after an accident like mine you should wait six months before getting back on a mountain bike.

“But I think I will leave it a good year before I get back on my mountain bike again.”

In the meantime Ian has just started his own business, designing and developing a range of accessories that are due to launch within the next couple of weeks.

His bags are made in England with locally sourced leathers and fabrics.