Coast To Coast - Peddling for Pain for Pain Concern - Day Two
Published 2023-10-25
Lee & Niki's fundraiser for Pain Concern - DAY TWO
Lee and Niki both have Lived Experience of severe persistent pain
This Autumn they took on the challenge of a 144 mile ride from one side of the UK to the other, with the aim of highlighting the silent epidemic of persistent pain in this country.
They wanted to do this to highlight the impact of persistent pain personally and in society, championing organisations like Pain Concern, Flippin Pain, Footsteps Festival, Partnering Pain and the British Pain Society, all of whom exist to support people to understand, manage and even recover from pain.
Lee
Lee has been living with Pain for 31yrs and last year was off work for 4 months fearing that he would never return to employment or a reasonable way of live. His experience with his Pain Management Programme taught him to Live Well With his Pain. Although Pain remains a part of his life, it is no longer his life.
Niki
For 16 years until 5 years ago Niki would struggle to walk 1 mile - let alone cycle so far - but learning to effectively self manage her pain, based on modern pain science has been key to a recovery from significant levels of disability. She works hard to maintain this recovery.
The Challenge and Metaphor
This was a monumental challenge for both Lee and Niki, physically and mentally. Cycling is very easy to compare to self management for persistent pain. The hills present a varying degree of obstacle, so climb them with care and be mindful of what your body and mind is telling you. Enjoy the descents but take it steady because if a decent is not also managed with care, then another steeper hill could be just around the corner. Riding with others who understand your experience is also key to success, for the support and encouragement. No person is an island, and even if you have to do a lot yourselves, having others cheerleading is vital.
Both Niki and Lee did training Vlogs which can be found on the playlist on the video. They thank everyone who supported them, it is so deeply appreciated.
Now onto the next challenge!!
All Comments (2)
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Go Niki 🎉
