Despite living with damaged lungs, Steve Owen from Knebworth in Hertfordshire is to take on the challenge of the 2017 Isle Of Wight Randonnee on Sunday 30th April as a training exercise in preparation for his planned 100 mile cycle ride in August.
48-year-old Steve has a blood clotting disorder called Factor V Leiden which has significantly damaged both of his lungs to a point where they only operate at around 30% of what a normal pair of lungs should do.
The Accountant is hoping to cycle a total of 100 miles on 27th August for Thrombosis UK, to raise awareness of his condition as well as educating and encouraging people to go and get tested – especially where there is a family history of early or sudden deaths. Approximately 8% of people have Factor V Leiden and are completely unaware until it is too late, yet a simple blood test can detect it.
The 100 mile ride will occur in Hertfordshire starting/finishing just North of London in Brookmans Park. But ahead of his fundraising ride Steve will be taking part in the Isle of Wight Randonnee, which coincides with National Thrombosis Week.
Steve was a very active person, had never smoked and was mostly healthy until a few years back when he collapsed whilst getting on the train to work…
“I immediately passed out, falling back out the door onto the platform. I spent time in hospital in critical care where the doctors said I was extremely lucky to be alive, if I had fallen into the train I would never have got medical attention quick enough.
“They diagnosed that I had Factor 5 Leiden and I had large clots in key areas of both lungs. I was suffocating. Blood thinning drugs, which I’m now on for life, dissolved the clots but they left significant scaring in my lungs making them less efficient at processing oxygen,especially when cold, when my blood is thicker then desired or around ash smoke/pollution. My lungs now only operate at a very small percentage of what they once did.
“When I left hospital things I took for granted like moving from the lounge to the kitchen exhausted me, my lungs simply could not process sufficient oxygen. Slowly, through the love and support of my family, along with the patience of a personal trainer whom regularly came to my home, I slowly lengthened how far I could walk”.
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Steve and his friends will be starting the Randonnee at Yarmouth for around 08:00 and is inviting anyone who wants to ride with them around the 60+ mile route to do so.
You can follow the highs and lows of the training journey at www.facebook.com/Ride4Factor5/ and contribute to this fundraising efforts at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Ride4Factor5.
