eBikes For Good? Ex Rider Looking To Get Back With Some Help
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eBikes get a huge amount of stick in the mountain biking world for taking away from the natural exercise element of the sport and for potentially contributing towards trail damage. Stuart Marsland’s story, however, provides eBikes with a wholly positive platform, as an inherent illness and subsequent crash forced Stu out of competitive riding.
My Name is Stuart Marsland, But better known as Gonch. About 8 years ago, I was hit by a car Damaging my spine and leaving me with constant pressure on my spinal cord, which in turn left me permanent back and leg problems. On top of this, because I was born with Transposition of the great valves (Con-genitive Heart Problems), and subsequently having a pacemaker. Being unable to train any more has made my cardiac problems all the more worse with my fitness being non existent.
Up until my accident I was very active with a full time career with Cycle Surgery and on and off road cycling on a regular basis with Friends, Colleagues, Customers and more. Unfortunately, I had to resign from my career as I could no longer do my job, and was told by doctors, I would never ride again and would eventually end up in a wheelchair.
But over the past 8 years I have tried to keep that speck of light burning to get back on a bike.
After falling into deep depression, my partner snapped me out of it and urges me to start properly medicating, start training and ultimately get back on a bike.
This new bike, being powered, would not impact to much on my cardio, but enough to get me going again, and to enjoy the thing I grew up doing and the industry I loved to work in.
I previously tried to raise money for something similar 4 years ago, but it fell short and the money was spent on ramps and rails for my home instead of a quad bike.
So please anything you have to spare would go along way to achieving my goal, and proving the doctors wrong.
Thank you, And I look forward to seeing you out on the trails again.
Stuart Marsland.
You can find out more and donate on Stu’s Go Fund Me page.
