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I have been riding motorbikes on and off since I was about 12. I had my first road bike aged 16, and graduated to bigger and more powerful bikes over the years. I regarded myself as experienced, but wouldn’t say I was a sensible rider – if anything I was a bit of a nutter. I could ride as fast as anybody and faster than most.

The bike I had the crash on was a 1,000CC Suzuki, which was capable of anywhere between 165 and 170 mph. It happened on Wednesday 8 September 2004.

Wednesday night was a traditional night for the lads to meet up for a ride, and this particular night I was leading the group. I was determined to keep us all together so instead of watching where I was going I was glancing back and looking in my mirrors. We were travelling at a steady speed – about 50mph on a 60mph road – which was unusual for us, and I didn’t notice that we were approaching a roundabout (see left) until the last split second.

I panic braked, which locked the wheels up. I have been told that the bike then drifted into the middle of the road, where there was loose gravel, so when I hit the brakes again I just skidded. The bike hit the kerb, then bounced off in one direction, while I came off the other way. On the traffic island there was just one piece of solid road furniture – a great big lamppost. I hit it straight on at about 40mph.

The collision collapsed my chest cavity, broke nine ribs, shattered my collarbone and took my right shoulder out. I damaged four vertebrae in my spine, shattered one of them and was left paralysed from an inch below my ribcage.

The first night I have been told was touch and go. About 10 days later my internal organs started packing up and it was touch and go again. In those first two weeks my family must have been to hell and back. In total I was in hospital for six months and three days.

It has been difficult to deal not just with the physical aspects of being in a wheelchair but also other aspects – it effects everything from your bodily functions to your emotions. There have been times when I have been short tempered and times when I have sat and cried. At 44 you don’t expect to just break into tears during a conversation but you do.

The things that change are things you wouldn’t even consider before. Now if I go to the pub for a pint with my mates, I have to find a pub where everyone can sit down, as if they are standing up it hurts my neck from looking at them.

My daughter is getting married soon, and I can’t do something as simple as walking her down the aisle. Instead I have to go in the side door as I can’t get up the steps and my son will push me down the aisle in my wheelchair with my daughter by my side. I will still be really proud but it is not the same as doing it properly.

It is a completely life-changing experience and a long journey to get back to some degree of normality. In effect you go through a grieving process because of the life you have lost that you are never going to see again.

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