Need to know
For #TeamEEAST Last updated: 19 April 2024 at 13:04
Paramedic Nick Williams is currently completing a year of colossal running, swimming and cycling event. Here he tells us how he started and what makes him continue to challenge his own limits:
Well where do I start! Nine years ago, I had a 9-5 job, an active social life and played sports (judo, rugby) regularly. That all changed when my father was diagnosed with bladder cancer.
I had a change of priorities in life and thought "there must be more to life that this?" I saw an advert in the local East Anglian Daily Times for student paramedics and the rest I suppose is history.
I have worked front-line in Ipswich for the last nine years; I am a mentor and senior paramedic, having recent secondments as HALO and acting DLO.
I first became involved with Macmillan Cancer Support three years ago when I approached them about a local event that they were leading for. So in 2016 I started the journey of trying to lose weight, get fit and change my life. The shift patterns, weekends and 12hr shifts had made competitive sports very difficult to regularly attend, so I looked at alternatives - things that I can do in the relative free time outside of work. I entered my first 5km in 2015 with my Dad. I weighed over 20st and walked half of it. I felt terrible!
Due to 30 years of scrummaging, I had developed pins and needles in my right arm, and had muscle loss due to some prolapsed discs at C3-C4 in my neck and a herniated disc at C7. I was booked in to Ipswich Hospital for an Anterior Discectomy in October 2015! My recovery was no driving for 12 weeks and gentle exercise to aid recovery. Challenge accepted and over three stone later, I had decided to do something monumental. The plan was to complete 40 challenges in 2016 (the year I turned 40). This turned into 76 and I raised over £1,500 for Macmillan. After triathlons, charity bike rides, charity runs, half marathons, the Spartan Trifecta (sprint, ultra and beast), open water swims and some fun runs (bubble rush and the midnight walk); how can I top this?
So, roll on 2017 and the bar had to be raised - a marathon. I started training in November and again long shifts and shift patterns resulted in random midnight runs of 10 miles! Support was fantastic with several fellow lunatics on station who had previously ran with me (Karl Tovell) and those who had ran marathons (Paul Saunders, Carl Friar and Bridget Read) giving me guidance and tips.
And so April came. The countdown had gone from months to weeks to now day. Macmillan was fantastic, regular texts and emails to encourage and support always knowing that I wasn't on my own!
The plan for this year has been well thought out allowing time to recover and to push my comfort limits to the extreme. This has led to not just one marathon, but two.
Events for 2017 :-
All the money I raise will be going to Macmillan again, if you would like to show your support, you can do so here.
Nick Williams, Paramedic
Published 2nd June, 2017