IPF Member Spencer Wadsworth soared to success at BUCS Para Track Cycling Championships at Derby Arena this month. The 21-year-old won three golds for Keele University and set a new BUCS record in the process, when he clocked 5 mins 34.192 seconds in the 4k Individual Pursuit (IP).
Spencer topped the podium for each of his events; the 4K IPF, the Flying 200m (13.291 seconds) and Kilo Time Trial (1K in 1 minute16.806 seconds).
In October 2023, while playing rugby for Keele University, Spencer sustained a brachial plexus injury which resulted in paralysis of his right arm.
Fast forward just over two years and Spencer is thriving as part of British Cycling’s Para-cycling Talent Development Programme, with his recent record-breaking weekend a reflection of the progress he’s making.
Coming off the back of a sixth-place finish in Lloyds National Track Championships in Manchester, it’s been quite a fortnight for the student from Coventry.
Spencer says: “The BUCS Championships were awesome. The races were exhilarating and the crowd was amazing,especially after I finished my race. That was really uplifting. It’s something I really want to experience again and something that caught me off-guard.
“To break a BUCS record was pretty amazing and suggests the hard work is paying off, and I'm on track for where I want to be. Hopefully, if I keep going this way, there's a chance that I can be seriously competitive in the future.
“I was thrilled to walk away with the record in the 4K Individual Pursuit, and of course with the gold medals. But alongside that, I also picked up so much knowledge about the track and what it’s like to be a competitive person in a sport with individual events, when I’m more used to rugby as a team sport so it was a different experience for me.”
Spencer credits a lot of his recent success to the support network around him saying: “I put it down to the support I’ve had from my family, friends, the Injured Players Foundation, Keele Uni and British Cycling, alongside a lot of hard work and dedication – I’ve been ‘thugging it out ‘on the turbo trainer in my bedroom for many hours now!
Spencer is keen to highlight the impact that support from the RFU Injured Players Foundation has had on his recovery and his journey into the British Cycling’s Para-cycling Talent Development Squad.
“The Injured Players Foundation have been by my side since the very beginning of my injury,” he explains, “and the support they have provided since has been absolutely invaluable.
“After my accident I was in a really bad way and I thought my life was over. It was the IPF who pulled me out of a hole. I'dprobably go as far as to say the IPF saved my life in all honesty.
“They completely altered my mindset on what was possible as a disabled person and on how my life would be.
“It’s hard to believe where I’ve come from and what I’m doing now. To be honest it scares me to think about how my life would be or what it would look like if I hadn’t been approached by the IPF, especially in the early days.
“I don't really want to think about that because the opportunities I’ve had are so awesome, it’s not worth thinking about the alternatives.
“I never knew the IPF existed before my accident. Now I just want to share it with as many people as possible. If you love rugby, you’ll love the IPF. It represents everything rugby gives you. It’s like a family.
“The Foundation has helped with everything from funding additional rehab and equipment to support returning to uni, help re-learning to drive, assistance with hospital appointments and support for my family.
“They make sure I don't have to worry about how I'm going to get better or how my rehabilitation is going to go. I know I will be supported no matter what happens and that's such a nice feeling and a real safety blanket.
“The Foundation has also been a gateway for more sporting opportunities and meeting people in similar situations, so you no longer feel alone.
“I’ve just been completely supported at every opportunity. Anything I've not already had a foothold in, the IPF have given me one to grab onto and pull myself through.
“First, they introduced me to accessible watersports and that gave me the confidence to give skiing a go. I didn’t think I’dbe able to do it at first, but there was a brilliant group of instructors who helped me re-learn how to ski with the use of one arm.
“I then ran the London Marathon for the IPF and from there triathlon followed. I loved the cycling part so much I thought it better to focus on what I’m really passionate about.
“Cycling just gives me a rush. It’s like the same adrenaline you get playing rugby. It’s intense, it’s fast paced and all about raw power and technique.
“The IPF funded my bike to enable me to follow that new dream, and since then it’s all been about training and entering competitive events to see what I’m capable of.
“I was really happy with a sixth-place finish at the Nationals as that was my first competitive race. I learned so much from the weekend and now have a good idea of where I am and where I need to get to.”
Having proven his potential and how hard work is paying off, Spencer’s next challenge comes away from the velodromeand out on the streets.
“The road race and Crit Series (National Circuit Series) is coming up next, which I'm also very excited about,” he says.“That will be a little bit different to the track, but it’s still obviously bike racing and the same sort of environment. It’s going to be a lot more bunch riding, bigger groups and more tactical potentially and I'm really looking forward to that.”
Spencer’s ultimate dream would understandably be to compete at the LA Paralympics in 2028. While only a couple of years away, given the progress Spencer has made in the last couple of years it’s certainly not to be ruled out!
“The Paralympics are the pinnacle," he says. "It would be incredible to represent the country. That’s the dream. How realistic that is in a short-time scale is too hard to say, but I back myself every day to put the work in.”
