How cycling changed my life...
Russell Kesley, 49, from East Dulwich has cycling to thank for saving his life and he aims to ride across the USA to show his gratitude…
WHAT GOT YOU INTO CYCLING?
“I set up my own physio business in Wokingham in 2015 and started riding there from south-west London.”
HOW DID IT CHANGE YOUR LIFE?
“I had an undiagnosed tumour on my adrenal gland. It was releasing adrenalin into my body at a rate that affected my heart and my life. After completing a TdF Challenge on Strava I collapsed. My resting heart rate was 165 and resting blood pressure was 250/120 and yet I was fit. Cycling stressed my body, enabling the tumour to be found, but it also meant I was fit enough to survive it. Cycling literally saved my life. Eighty per cent of all these rare tumours are only discovered in autopsy.”
HOW OFTEN DO YOU GET OUT ON THE BIKE?
“I ride every day now... for pleasure and to be the best I can be. I generally ride a Cannondale Synapse but, like all cyclists, I have N+1 syndrome and my favourite is a Passoni TopForce. It is the best bike I have ever had the luck to ride. Since 2016, I’ve been riding 6234 miles in a year, until 2019 when I rode 11,749 miles.”
WHAT ARE YOUR CYCLING ACHIEVEMENTS TO DATE?
“After a life-saving operation I rode from London to Gibraltar in 2016. I also qualified for RAAM 2018 (Race Across America). It didn’t end well. I put too much pressure on myself and crew by trying to do too much in too short a space of time. I rode London to Rome, then I entered NCOM 2019, a 1000-mile training and qualification race for RAAM, and won in a time of under 80 hours!”
WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS?
“I’m aiming for RAAM 2020 next – @Russ RA AM Challenge. I was lucky, my life was saved, so my goals are to raise as much money as I can in aid of motor neurone disease and other charities. In 2021, I think an attempt at Mark Beaumont’s 78-day cycling around the world record is on the cards.”
In February, Russell will be riding 500 miles from Twickenham to Murrayfield in 48 hours in support of Motor Neurone Disease research charity, myname5doddie.co.uk
GET IN TOUCH...
Has cycling changed your life? Email us at cyclingplus@immediate.co.uk
CYCLING LITERALLY SAVED MY LIFE… IT STRESSED MY BODY, ENABLING THE TUMOUR TO BE FOUND