Hi everyone!

This page is to raise money for our determined and much loved friend Jimmy Hubbard to buy a new adapted recumbent bike since his brain injury in 2019.

In September 2019, Jimmy had returned from Australia and was working in the UK as a trainee anaesthetist, and continued to pursue his interest in cycling, having saved up to buy a beautiful new road bike.

In December 2019, Jimmy's life changed when he suffered a haemorrhagic stroke out of the blue. One day whilst at lunch he developed a headache and lost consciousness. He was taken to the nearest hospital where he was put on a ventilator, before being transferred to a neuro-intensive care unit for specialist treatment at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford. Jimmy was taken off the ventilator but remained in a coma for weeks. He recovered over 3 months in hospital and then a specialised rehabilitation unit, where he gradually improved. I think it’s safe to say that he had a rocky time in hospital with a few setbacks, including a clot in his leg, and a prolonged stint of social isolation where he wasn't allowed any visitors due to the COVID pandemic.

Initially, Jimmy couldn't walk or talk, and had to re-learn these skills over several months. It was a challenging time both physically and emotionally, made bearable by all the support from his friends and family, and his amazing rehabilitation team.

Jimmy's background:

Jimmy has always been a talented and sporty individual, with his most recent athletic flavour in being road cycling. His motivation and dedication to improve meant he could compete in multiple races, making his extremely fast pace look so effortless to us mere mortals, including multiple triathlons and an eye-watering (and bum-chafing) 300km race in Australia over the space of only one day.

Now:

Since his brain injury Jimmy has been intent on getting back to cycling. Before he could even stand, he tried out a bicycle designed for patients who could not stand, that allowed him to remain in his wheelchair, and set himself personal targets which he quickly smashed (and almost broke the bike in the process).

Following that he used his savings to buy a recumbent exercise bike which he had delivered directly to his room in hospital (something the staff had never seen before).

He then donated this bike to his rehabilitation centre when he was discharged, and moved on to using his normal bike using a stationary turbo trainer, and has trialled other bikes outdoors such as recumbent bikes and specialised tricycles.

Jimmy currently puts out more Strava miles than all of us combined, and is now saving up for an adaptive off-road bike designed for cyclists with disabilities, called a Bowhead. Unfortunately there is no funding at all from the NHS for any adaptive cycling equipment.

The future, and the bike:

I’m writing this to reach out to all of you so that we can help Jimmy buy the adaptive bicycle that he wants and more than deserves, as a gesture of appreciation of how hard the last few years have been for him. This will give him more mobility, freedom and independence.

Having this bike will also open up huge opportunities – Jimmy will be able to join off-road cycling communities with other disabled cyclists and compete in off-road races. He plans to go to France to cycle from one end to the other (over 1000 miles!), as well as compete in the Dartmoor Classic race this upcoming July.

Please dig deep and donate to show your admiration and support.

Jimmy we wish you all the best with this bike!

Lulu