Blog Two – Interview with Alex Dowsett.
Hi Alex!
My Personal Project is about ‘Inspiration’ and I’ve chosen 3 people who inspire me.
So my first question is how old were you when you did your first competition?
My first cycling competition was when I was 13 or 14. A 10 mile time trial quite local to me. I did 28 mins and 1 second. That was the start of it and then I kept going back to it to improve my time.
Have you ever had a serious injury where you’ve had to go to hospital?
Yes! Absolutely! More than one. In the first half of my professional career on average I would break a bone every two years in a crash. The crashes happen. Every professional cyclist has crashes. There’s nice crashes where you might just have a couple of cuts and bruises and there’s bigger crashes with very common injuries like broken collar bone, broken elbow. Not to do with my haemophilia. Also I’ve broken my thumb, two ribs and a shoulder blade but they didn’t need surgery. I’ve got a few scars.
Do you do your own infusions and how long have you been doing the infusions yourself?
Yes, every two days. I could do it when I was nine!
Me – That’s pretty impressive! I also get Factor VIII, I can do all of it and get it ready but just putting that needle in I’m like nope! I’m not ready for that yet.
Why did you choose to make Little Bleeders website and what made you think of the name?
We’re a serious charity but its nice to have a name that puts a smile on peoples faces! Our focus is on the young haemophiliacs because the condition has changed so much since I was a young boy, there’s two different sets of requirements for the older generation versus the younger generation for assistance. The Haemophilia Society do a great job, so I thought lets focus on the young haemophilia community.
Just out of curiosity is there anyone who inspires you to keep going and keep cycling and pushing through when you break a bone or whatever?
I never had haemophilia role models. There were no sportsmen who were haemophiliacs. My dad was a racing car driver and that was a source of inspiration and I wanted to be a driver but it turned out I was better on a bike than in a car so I wasn’t one for big sporting heroes. But the one I did admire was Lance Armstrong who came back after cancer to win the Tour de France and be the greatest of all time so he was a source of inspiration. But my dad being a very high level racing driver was my main inspiration.
Why do you think exercise is so important for people with haemophilia?
It works well alongside medication to reduce the amount of bleeds. It’s like a vicious circle because I would argue that inactivity is as risky as being on a football pitch because strong joints and strong muscles are less susceptible to spontaneous bleeding. Also not being overweight and putting strain on the joints. It’s an interesting paradox that with the condition the instinct is to avoid any kind of risk and there’s risk associated with sport but the flip side of that is that inactivity isn’t good either so it’s about being selective with the activities. For everyone it’s no secret that fitness and good health add to your life. You’re able to do more, participate in more, life
lengthening, fewer health problems and less strain on the NHS. The evidence for fitness and health is overwhelming.
Me – I tend to be a defender or goalie in football and I’ve had a few large hits to the face and body and yes it can be painful and sometimes I get worried that I might have to go to hospital but at the same time I enjoy football and playing and chatting with my friends. I did an assembly at school about haemophilia so everyone is aware of it and understands it.
Here’s my most important question! If you could be any superhero, which superhero would you like to be?
I like them all but I like Ironman, he’s smart. And there’s the protective layer of iron, so given the bones I’ve broken and the crashes I’ve had, yes, so Ironman with his intelligence and protective suit.
Me – I like speedsters! All their organs and skin has been modified to withstand immense pressure and resistance to vapourising so I’d feel like I would be safer with that with my haemophilia and I’ll be able to stand things a bit stronger than normal.
Okay, so we’ve picked two different answers for similar reasons to do with our haemophilia.
Me – Alex was great to talk to and I wasn’t nervous once we started chatting! Alex is definitely even more inspiring to me now because he feels like a real person with the same worries as me and you. Think about who inspires you and why? Maybe you also have a favourite Superhero who you can take inspiration from?
Thank you for the chat Alex Ironman Dowsett!
See you all soon for Blog 3. From Mikey.
