Amputee to take on 60-mile cycle race challenge (From Clacton and Frinton Gazette)

Walton: Amputee to take on 60-mile cycle race challenge

11:00am Tuesday 5th February 2013 in News

A RUNNER who broke three legs on the way to completing last year’s London Marathon is jumping on her bike for her next sporting challenge.

Amputee Helen Chapman, 45, cracked her way through three different prosthetic limbs during the 26-mile race.

She has been forced to put running on the backburner to avoid breaking another leg, but has filled the void with cycling.

Helen, of Savile Street in Walton, has now signed up for Paris Nightrider cycle race – a gruelling 61-mile ride around the landmarks of Paris.

She said: “I’m really excited. It’s a long distance and it will be a huge challenge.

“I only started cycling again last year after not touching a bike for years. The opportunity to give the race a go came up and I didn’t think twice about it."

Helen had had the lower part of her right leg amputated in 1998 after suffering injury in a car crash.

But she has not let that hold her back, and has dedicated herself to completing tough challenges and providing an example for others.

As well as finishing the marathon, she clinched two gold medals and a silver medal at the annual Amputee Games last year.

She added: “It means everything to me to be able to try this. It is an opportunity for me to push my boundaries and test my limits."

Helen is also taking on the nightrider race to raise cash for LimbPower, a charity which helps amputees get their lives together after losing a limb.

People can sponsor her online at justgiving.com/chappascrazycyclechallenge