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MEET CALLUM - RECORD HOLDER WITH AN EBAY BIKE
01 October, 2014 0 comments
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
- Scottish national 10 mile time trial championship 70th
- Scottish national 25 mile time trial championship 67th
- North of Scotland 10 mile time trial championship 10th
- Raymond Sinclair 10 mile time trial 9th place
- Personal bests for 2011
- 10 mile 22.28
- 25 mile 57.24
- 50mile 2.16.19
Results 2012
- British masters pursuit championship 35 to 39 year old 3km 10 place
- Scottish national 10 mile tt championship 53rd
- North of Scotland Criterium championships 10th
- Raymond Sinclair 10mile time trial 7th
- Personal bests
- 10 mile 21.38
- 25 mile 56.22
- 50 mile 2.16.19
Results. 2013
- Inchberry 10 mile time trial 1st
- Forres 10 mile time trial 3rd
- Raymond Sinclair 10 mile time trial 4th
- Ross shire 25 mile time trial 1st
- Caithness cc 25mile time trial 1st
- Ross shire cc Skelly memorial 50 mile time trial 2nd
- North of Scotland criterium championships 3rd
- Ian longbotham memorial 25 mile time trial 2nd
- Ronnie Macdonald 10 mile time trial 2nd
- Scottish 100 mile championship time trial DISQUALIFIED going through red light ! At 97 miles !
- Personal bests
- 10 miles 21.24
- 25 miles 56.05
- 50 miles 1.57.25
- 100 miles 4.11.12
Results 2014
- Deeside hilly time trial 18 miles 2nd
- Sherrifston 10 mile time trial 1st
- Mackie tankard 25 mile trial 3rd
- North of Scotland championship 10 mile time trial 1st
- Forres cc 25 mile time trial 1st
- Forres cc 17 mile hilly time trial 3rd
- Raymond Sinclair memorial 10 mile trial 1st
- Forres cc 35 mile APR road race 2nd
- MFCC 10 mile time trial 1st
- Aberdeen wheelers 10 mile time trial 1st
- MFCC 10 mile time trial 2nd
- Ross shire cc 25 mile time trial 2nd
- Ross shire Skelly memorial 50 mile time trial 1st North of Scotland veteran record
- Cromarty Firth 50 mile time trial 2nd
- Audrey gault memorial 10 mile trial 3rd
- Edinvale hilly time trial 24 miles 3rd
- Cawdor 10 mile time trial 1st
- Scottish National Championship 100 mile trial 1st scottish veteran record
- Ian longbotham memorial 25 mile time trial 2nd
- Scottish National Championship team trial 4th
- Ronnie Macdonald 10 mile time trial 1st North record
- For the shirt team road race 1st
- Cairngorm 10 mile time trial 2nd
- Ballater falling leaves stage race time trial 1st course record
- Personal best 2014
- 10 miles 20.42
- 25 miles 55.12
- 50 miles 1.52.02
- 100 miles 3.50.39
IN SUMMARY FOR 2014! AN IMPRESSIVE LIST OF ACHIEVEMENTS!
- Scottish 100 mile Champion
- Scottish 100 mile veterans record 3.50.39
- North of Scotland 10 mile time trial champion
- North of Scotland 50 mile time trial champion
- North of Scotland 100 mile time trial champion
- North of Scotland 10 mile record and veterans record
- North of Scotland 25 mile record and veterans record
- North of Scotland 50 mile veterans record
- North of Scotland 100 mile record and veterans record
- North of Scotland best all rounder competition gold medal
- North of Scotland best all rounder completion Record
- North of Scotland super series