RAF veteran’s Ironman bid to raise money for the DMRC
A PHYSICAL training instructor in the Royal Air Force is battling back to fitness after suffering a serious and life-threatening illness - and is aiming to take on one of the toughest challenges in the UK.
And he is refusing to let it beat him - by pledging to take on an Ironman challenge this year to raise funds for the Defence Medical Rehabilitation Centre (DMRC) at Stanford Hall near Loughborough.
John Felton -who lives at the DMRC in the week but goes home to Wales at weekends - was diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis in 2009 after suffering with abdominal cramping pains, anaemia, fatigue and weight loss amongst many other debilitating and isolating symptoms.
He said: “As a physical training instructor in the Royal Air Force, this was hugely impacting my career, fitness and self-esteem.
“I battled through for 12 months post diagnosis; naively hoping my body would right itself. Unfortunately there was no hiding place, intravenous steroids failed to help me recover which resulted in a total colectomy (removal of my large intestine).
“Over the next 12 months, I underwent two further surgical procedures to create an internal J-Pouch and take down of the ileostomy, which meant I could return to full duties and use the toilet like a ‘normal person’.
“Fast forward 10 years, following countless hospital admissions, intestinal blockages, endoscopies, and taking strong medication to control ‘output’, it was deemed that the pouch had failed and the constant fatigue and pain I was suffering was down to sepsis; the j-pouch had failed.
“This meant invasive surgery to take the pouch down and leave me with a permanent ileostomy for the rest of my life. A hard hitting realisation for a 34-year-old that was so healthy and fit, and the worry that my career serving my country may well be over.
“This really took a toll on me, from both a physical and emotional capacity.”
Recovery was tough, and made even more difficult by sustaining two prolapses of the stoma.
He said: “These episodes meant that my mind-set had to alter, and in order for me to maintain my level of motivation and training effects in the gym, I decided that after much needed rest from the surgery, a steady approach to exercise rehabilitation, I would shift my training to Triathlon.
“This way, I wouldn’t be required to lift heavy weights, I could still push my body aerobically and I would have a new training goal that would fulfil my training passion.”
John has entered the Ironman Wales event which takes place in September.
He said: “Ultimately, the journey to completing Ironman Wales is to find my path again, push boundaries, demonstrate resilience and fulfil my passion for a healthy lifestyle following a big change in my life.
“I want to show my family, friends and more importantly, my wife and threeyearson that no matter what struggles in life we may face, we must fight back and be strong.
“In doing so, I can hopefully demonstrate to many Crohns and Colitis sufferers that there is hope, and with grit and determination, this horrendous disease doesn’t have to rule your life. You can take control and achieve great things.”
The DMRC has an onsite charity the DMRC Benevolent Fund which is supporting John with his goal of completing an Ironman this year. As a result he is fund-raising for this charity.
For more details and to support John, visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/
For information about the DMRC fund visit https://www.dmrcbenfund.co.uk/