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MEET CALLUM - RECORD HOLDER WITH AN EBAY BIKE

01 October, 2014 0 comments

Callum Finlayson

 

Meet Callum Finlayson a self confessed Forres loon on an ebay bike!

Callum is 41 years of age, unassuming man who would simply describe himself as a "keen cyclist"  -  What he might not readily volunteer is that he has just won the Scottish 100 mile time trial in the second fastest time EVER recorded on Scottish roads , a time of 3hours 50minutes and 39 seconds a mere 54 seconds off the record!

If that was not impressive enough then consider this. 5 years ago Callum suffered a Brain haemorrhage and a stroke which was caused by a very rare neurological condition which attacks your central nervous system called neuroscarcoidosis.At the time only 5 people in the world had presented with these symptoms with two surviving, Callum being one of the survivors.

This started his fight against sarcoidosis. Callum's weight ballooned to 21 and a Half stone due to steroids and epilepsy medication and it was found that due to scarring of my pituitary gland his body had stopped producing testesterone! "The Doctors told me that I should probably forget my bike never mind race it and that It would be three years before I would be able to do anything normal!"

Callum served in the army for sixteen years a career which laterally involved teaching at The Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.  He has a wife and a wee boy who at the time wasn't even 1 year old! The muscle fatigue and weight gain related to the illness stopped Callum at first from any form of training. However as he started going out with his little boy Brodie in the pram and pushed him for as far as he could go in an attempt to retain some form of stregth.

"A friend escorted me on bike runs as I wasn't allowed on my own ! The hardest thing was putting my cycling gear on due to my size.  Once I actually broke a rib putting a cycling shoe on!"

Fighting back

"Through support from friends & family i am fighting so hard to beat this horrible disease . I have had a very emotional journey until now ! Tests, brain scans, blood tests & lumbar punctures  over a four year period the doctors weaned me from the drugs but every time they tried to stop them the disease was always there ! This January we tried again and in June after a brain scan I was given 6 months all clear so I am now in remission!"

 

Callum's  plan was to use the bike to get as fit  as possible and give himself the best chance of fighting this horrible disease! He started winning races last year and has not looked back since!  The success this year to date has been unbelievable. As the season draws to a close Callum is the Scottish national champion at 100 miles , 2nd in Scotland in the Best All Rounder competition, and the North of Scotland 10mile, 50 mile and 100mile and best all round champion!

If that was not enough he has also broken the Scottish 100 mile veterans record  and the North of Scotland 50 mile and 100 mile record!

"My biggest goal now is to help people who have suffered or are suffering from sarcoidosis or a stroke ! Sarcoidosis itself is a little known disease and I hope to bring it out in the open.  I hope that my results on the bike can help or inspire people! When the odds are stacked against you it's easy to cave in! - I have been able to fight it through cycling and I hope others can too.  

My plan for the future is to break the Scottish record next year and win the British 100 mile time trial my time around our hilly roads around Tain would have gave me 3rd not bad for a Forres loon on an ebay bike!

 

CHECK OUT THESE RESULTS

2010

Two races . Cairngorm 10 mile time trial 46 th place 26.46 . Aberdeen 25 mile tt 1.11.32

2011

Results 2012

Results. 2013

Results 2014

IN SUMMARY FOR 2014! AN IMPRESSIVE LIST OF ACHIEVEMENTS!

 


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