Merseyside man cycling 2100km to Spain for firefighter charity that ‘restored’ his life: The journey so far

An ex-firefighter continues his adventure to Spain, to raise money for the charity that ‘restored’ his life.

Today is the two-week bench mark of his incredible journey, and he is currently in France.

Nick’s wife, Lydia is proudly providing regular updates about his journey and LiverpoolWorld are keeping in contact with Nick, as he shares brilliant stories about the adventure so far.

Nick’s story

Nick Dalby, 68, is cycling to Spain from Wirral, over 21 days, to raise money for the Fire Fighters Charity.

The journey of around 2100km is well under-way and he has travelled solo to France, wildcamping at night and visiting local restaurants along the way.

Nick joined Merseyside Fire and Rescue in 1975, aged 21, and was discharged 20 years later due to an injury on duty.

The physical injury had no immediate impact on Nick’s mental wellbeing but over the next 20 years his mental health began to crumble.

He told LiverpoolWorld: “The damage occurred with several incidents that were to cause the havoc. It remained dormant until about 10 years ago, from when my decline was slow but steady.

“That story is too long to tell but if you listen to ‘Crawling’ by Linkin Park and visualise the despair that is evoked, that was my daily life. Unmanned and unworthy.

“I felt guilt for failing. Shame for letting my family down and less of a man because I thought others hadn’t been affected.”

Nick sought help from Heswall and Pensby Group Practice and was eventually diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

He praises his GP, Dr Lesley Walker but said: “Mental health is severely underfunded to the point it is ineffectual to sufferers with complex issues. My experience supports that statement and I know of other sufferers left without meaningful treatment through the NHS.”

The Fire Fighters Charity were able to offer him a week of rehabilitation at one of their centres, with one to one sessions of psychiatric help.

“The treatment E.M.D.R. was brutal and mentally exhausting but very effective. Because of the complexity of my case I needed to return for another week. They were able to allow my wife to stay with me to enable me to be supported 24 hours even though a nurse was always on hand.” Nick explains.

Eye Movement Desensitisation Movement Therapy is a treatment specifically designed for PTSD, allowing individuals to briefly focus on a trauma memory while experiencing bilateral stimulation (eye movements). It is associated with a reduction in the vividness and difficult emotion associated with trauma memories.

The journey so far

Nick is currently in the South of France, and he cycled a whopping 130km on Tuesday.

He only has one more day left in France and has so far raised £1900 of his £2100 goal.

Although the journey so far has been challenging, Nick has enjoyed some much needed relaxation too, visiting a campsite near La Rochelle and having a dip in the pool.

His wife, Lydia, told LiverpoolWorld that he is meeting ‘lovely people’ on his journey, including a a couple at a restaurant who secretly paid for his meal.

Nick also told LiverpoolWorld that his journey is going really well so far, and he’ll be providing detailed updates for the final week of the challenge.

The Fire Fighters Charity

Mental health support is just one of the things that The Fire Fighters Charity offers to serving and retired firefighters. The charity aims to help them live happy and healthy lives, physically and mentally. They believe that no issue is too small and also offer support to family members.

They state that ‘there is no such thing as not being bad enough to call us’ and offer support through their telephone support line.

Help Nick reach his goal here.