A Cornish former soldier who thought he would never cycle again after suffering a back injury is back pushing pedals again after being given a recumbent bike by Help for Heroes.

And Chris Buckley, from Redruth, was amazed to find that the company that made his bike is also from his native Cornwall – ICE Trikes in Falmouth.

“I wrote to thank them as the bike is just what I needed to get me active and back in the open air, and they invited me to visit the factory next time I am visiting my mum, Anne, and brother Darren who both still live in Redruth,” said the 30-year-old. “I will definitely be taking up their offer so that I can thank them personally.”

Chris had wanted to join the police when he left Redruth School but was too young so decided to follow his brother Daniel into the Royal Engineers to get "life experience” but loved it so much he stayed in the Army.

While serving as a plant operating mechanic with 25 Regiment, Chris trained as a mountain bike instructor. But after being crushed by a tailgate that fell off a lorry while he was lowering it, he was left with prolapsed disks in his lower back, a narrowed spinal canal and severe nerve pain as well as a paralysed bladder and damaged kidney.

Unable to come to terms with the life changes that such injuries entailed, the father of three suffered enormously from depression. That, coupled with recurring kidney infections that hospitalised Chris on a regular basis, meant life at home was difficult for his wife Sam - not least because their youngest daughter Sadie was only three months old at the time of the accident.

“On discharge from the Army, I was told I would never ride a bike again but the attitude of Mark Airey, the strength and conditioning co-ordinator at Phoenix House, is ‘never say never’ and he encouraged me to try using a recumbent bike,” said Chris.

“When I first used one, it felt amazing. Even though you are lower to the ground, it actually is less scary than an upright bike when a huge lorry goes past as you don’t wobble or rock. It’s awesome.”

Now thanks to a Help for Heroes grant that enabled Chris to buy his own bike, he can go out and about whenever he wants. “I cannot thank enough everyone at Help for Heroes who helped me get my new recumbent bike,” he said. “As soon as I got it, I went straight out on a bike ride. It is absolutely amazing how I have been given the chance to be back out cycling again. I just need to learn to limit myself to how much time I spend on it and not do too much – but that’s hard when I love being out on it so much.”