Nick prepares for Velo Birmingham & Midlands challenge

In just 150 days’ time, Nick Birch will be joining thousands of riders on the start line of Velo Birmingham & Midlands 2020 ready to take on the 100 mile closed-road bike ride. Nick will be representing the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity, after the hospital saved his life following an accident in 2015.

Nick’s accident left him needing a total of 11 operations on his wrist, hand and ankle, which had to be rebuilt following the accident. Speaking of the operations that he had, Nick said: “It has been a long journey back to fitness but I am now fitter than I ever was before and I want to give something back to the hospital for the treatment that I’ve had.”

Before his accident, Nick was a keen runner and, following his recovery and rehabilitation, he wanted to set about a challenge to prove his fitness. Following the advice given to him by his surgeon, he picked up cycling as it has a much smaller impact on the joints.

Nick then decided to sign up for Velo Birmingham & Midlands 2020. He said: “The treatment that I received was incredible, and now I’ve got my fitness back I want to do something to say thank you. I’m already enjoying my training, and I’ve been helped along the way by my whippet, Skye. She’s helped me so much with walking, running and general good mental health through recovery and beyond!”

Nick will be joining the hospital charity team, the largest charity team taking on Velo Birmingham & Midlands 2020. Nick said: “I’m really looking forward to taking on this challenge and getting ready for the big day alongside the other QEHB Charity riders.”

Nick and the hospital charity cycling team on their training ride.

The hospital charity team are preparing for the challenge that a 100 mile ride poses by coming together for training rides, led by QEHB Charity’s cycling ambassador, Phil Upton. Nick joined the team for their first training ride and said: “It was great to get out on the roads with a friendly group of cyclists and get a few miles under our belts!”

You can sponsor Nick as he prepares for Velo Birmingham & Midlands on his JustGiving page here.

It’s not too late to join our Velo team for 2020, you can get yourself a Gold Bond place for just £40 with a minimum sponsorship of £400 here.