The Black Knight’s Quest
This site normally supports my long distance mountain hiking around Europe fundraising for a nominated charity. I have suspended that because, for the time being, I won’t be hiking over real mountains and won’t be asking for donations. Instead, I will be journeying over metaphorical mountains along the well-worn road of trials, slaying dragons along the way in a quest to return to my kingdom a different person.
On Monday 9 June 2025 at approximately 1210hrs my Harley Davidson Heritage Classic collided at relatively low speed with the central reservation barrier of a dual carriageway not far from Valladolid in northern Spain. My steed suffered minor cosmetic scratches. I suffered life changing injuries and came within an ace of bleeding out and dying. My left arm was mangled and ripped off at the elbow. My left tibia and fibula were broken in several places. I was conscious of everything that happened right up to the point they cut my clothes off in ED, asked for consent to complete the amputation of my left arm and told me that my left leg would be fine. Everything then went black.
When I woke I realised I was in intensive care – lines into several veins, a catheter, and many sensors monitoring my vital signs. Serious stuff. I stared at the ceiling above and experienced a strange moment of excitement, an epiphany almost. I’d been called to another adventure. Somehow I needed to get back on track and back to doing exactly what I’d been doing before the accident; working as a phlebotomist on the wards at the Royal Devon and Exeter; riding my Harley again; and completing my paramotoring and paragliding courses.
I knew I’d need two arms to accomplish all three. Very curiously, my very first conscious thoughts were – okay they told me my leg would be fine, what do I need to do to get back on the wards, back on the Harley and back in the air? And then my mind started making plans. At no stage did I go down that other road of considering what I now thought I could not do. I was energised by the challenge and not daunted by it. To be honest, I surprised myself. The ‘poor me’ thing seemed not to feature. Instead the thought process was more, how can I turn disadvantage into complete advantage?
Strangely the Black Knight scene from Monty Python’s Quest for the Holy Grail, in which King Arthur chops off the Black Knight’s left arm and declares victory, played through my mind. Tis but a scratch! declares the Black Knight and carries on fighting. There is something so Parachute Regiment about the Black Knight’s defiance that I felt I’d been cast in that role, by whatever divine forces had seen fit to spare my life give me a second chance. I am now the Black Knight on a quest.
As I write, nearly five weeks have elapsed. I am back home waiting for my left leg to bear weight and my left scapula to mend. It was broken in the incident. I am now even more aware of the terrain I have to cross and dragons that have to be slayed to achieve my goals.
This blog is dedicated to chronicling this quest in the hope it inspires others in a similar situation. You are more than welcome to come on the quest with me.
