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'I feel like myself again a little bit'

MATT McGEEHAN talks to Martyn Ashton about the stunt rider's recovery from a horrific accident

For Martyn Ashton, who has done things on a bike Sir Bradley Wiggins could only dream of, just merely taking to the road again has been a blessing.

The 39-year-old was paralysed from the waist down during a stunt display at Silverstone race circuit, but, with the help of Disability Sport Wales and British Cycling, is enjoying the freedom of cycling once more.

"To find something as simple as hand-cycling to be able to get fitness back has been a bit of a game-changer for me," Ashton, from Port Talbot, says.

"I feel like myself again a little bit. To suddenly have that freedom again is a really great thing to discover. It's been a real blessing."

Ashton has refused to dwell on what might have been, looking only to the future.

His Road Bike Party video has been watched 10 million times on YouTube, showing him performing jaw-dropping, gravity-defying stunts, including on the Wall of Death on the same bike with which Wiggins won the 2012 Tour de France.

The video opens with a note of caution: "Warning: some of the following scenes should not be attempted."

Ashton was performing on the Animal Bike Tour when he landed on his shoulders and neck from three metres and "hyper-extended, my body snapped in two."

"I've had hundreds of crashes in my career and lots of them worse than that one, but for whatever reason I landed really awkwardly this time and was unlucky," adds Ashton, who had been performing for 20 years.

"When I had the crash I knew it could be a lot worse. I landed right on my neck and I was really lucky in some respects.

"From the outset I was very much thinking 'okay, this isn't as bad as it could've been.' I think you have to weigh things up like that.

"I've had some dark days, where if you let yourself think back a bit, it can be quite sad. You can do that with anything.

"When you're in this situation you can't spend too long thinking back and 'ifs' and 'whats' because that's not how life is.

"I was still in hospital when Road Bike Party 2 came out."

The sequel to Ashton's first video has been viewed more than nine million times.

Ashton's accident saw Danny MacAskill and Chris Akrigg drafted in to complete the film.

Ashton is pragmatic and positive, trying to "recalibrate" his life and work out what is possible.

He was still in hospital when he was contacting sport agencies to plan the future and he is keen to give adaptive rowing and swimming a go.

The generosity of Disability Sport Wales and British Cycling means he already has a handbike and he is tempted to explore racing, although it is too early to say if the Paralympics could be a future target.

"I haven't looked too much into the racing side. Maybe I will. Up till now I haven't thought about too much other than getting out on the bike again, which has been really nice."

The freedom available from cycling has given Ashton some perspective.

So too has friendships with people like Paul Smith, a tetraplegic he met in hospital.

Ashton said: "He's a brilliant guy, I learnt an awful lot from him about my mindset. He views me as a bit of a flesh wound."

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