A 38-year-old man from Caerphilly has started fundraising to achieve his aim of becoming a Paralympian.
Matthew Faucher has a rare condition called Congenital Insensitivity to Pain (CIP), which means he does not feel pain or temperature from his elbow down to his knee.
As a result of his condition, Matthew had his left kneecap amputated when he was seven years old, and his right leg amputated when he was 16.
More recently, Matthew has had two toes removed from his left foot.
Matthew is hoping to raise more than £13,000 to fund a new handbike, which he says will help him achieve his long-term aim of competing at the 2024 Paralympics in Paris.
He told Caerphilly Observer: “I spent a few years saving up for my current bike, which cost £4,500. But it’s not good enough for me to take the next step so I need a new bike.
“I’ve spoken with different organisations about help getting the new bike and they all recommended I set up a fundraising page.
“I already have around £5,000 to go towards the bike, so I just need to raise another £8,000.”
Between the ages of 16 and 25, Matthew played wheelchair tennis and narrowly missed out on qualification for the 2004 Paralympics in Athens.
“I gave up wheelchair tennis in 2005 when my daughter was born, so I could spend time with her.”
Matthew competed at two Paracycling events at Newport Velodrome in 2013 and 2015, winning bronze medals on both occasions in the 3km pursuit.
He said: “I was getting so much discomfort in my back and pelvis on a regular bike, so I decided to get a handbike and take up handcycling.”
Since early 2018, Matthew has competed nationally in the Paracycling National Series, as well as in international handcycling events.
The aspiring paralympian finished third in the British National Series in Chippenham, Wiltshire and achieved a top ten finish at the Paracycling Road World Cup in Emmen, Netherlands.
“I’m looking to build on my results in Emmen. I have events coming up in Chester, Belgium and Italy in the near future.”
Currently, Matthew spends between ten and 15 hours training each week.
“I’m aiming to raise the money by the end of this year so I have the bike ready for next year.”
To donate to Matthew’s cause, visit www.gofundme.com/new-handbike.