Woman with Epilepsy First British Cyclist to Complete Ultra Marathon
Thirty-one-year-old Katie Ford is a cyclist with epilepsy who has become the first British rider to complete a 12-hour indoor track ultra marathon.
Ford cycled 1,226 laps at the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome during her run, totaling 190 miles.
Paralympic gold medalist Gordon Reid MBE and Glasgow Warriors players Lee Jones and Ratu Tagive were in attendance to cheer her on.
Ford’s goal was to beat the 12-hour indoor track female record of 247.6 miles but fell short. She did, however, come away with two world records and one British record, pending verification from the Ultra Marathon Cycling Association and Guinness World Records.
Katie was diagnosed with epilepsy at four years old, and took on the challenge to raise awareness for the condition and hopes for performance will help to remove the stigma.
“It really was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done but thinking about everything the Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity and Epilepsy Action has done for me and all the amazing children and young people they support helped me get through the darkest times in the saddle,” states Ford. “I’m passionate about showing what people living with epilepsy are capable of and helping to banish the stigma associated with the condition.”
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This piece is based on an article by Gavin Stuart for Third Force News, which can be seen here.
Mike Nickas received his Bachelor of Arts in Film and Multimedia Studies at Florida Atlantic University in December of 2015, and is currently pursuing his second BA at the University of South Florida in psychology with a minor in education. He is the former host of the online news show The Week in Neurodiversity. He also currently works for Dr. Mike Rizzo’s Child Provider Specialists in Weston, FL.
