Meet
Ryan

As a teenager competing in cycling events for Jersey in the Island Games, Ryan O’Shea could never have imagined that within a decade he’d be diagnosed with a brain tumour that would change his life’s direction and end his dreams of competitive cycling.

It was during the winter of 2021 and early 2022 that Ryan started getting bad headaches and migraines. He noticed his memory wasn’t as sharp, he became forgetful and a stutter that was usually under control suddenly got worse, especially in the weeks just before diagnosis. “There were a couple of occasions where I went out for a family meal and only had one beer but I felt like I’d been spiked! I had to go home early and just passed out on my bed fully clothed.”

Ryan’s brain tumour diagnosis, surgery and hospital stay all happened very quickly in April 2022. “I had a CT scan on 20th, an emergency MRI scan and urgent meeting with Dr Gibson on 21st and was flown to the UK on 23rd April to London’s National Neurology and Neurosurgery hospital. I didn’t have time to stop and think about what was happening or what it meant for the long term. I think adrenalin got me through!”

The pressure in Ryan’s skull was so severe he could have died at any moment. Thankfully, the biopsy showed that the tumour was benign, and a shunt was installed to drain excess fluid into the stomach to reduce pressure building up in the future. “The doctors told me that this type of tumour – a Grade 1 Diffuse Astrocytoma – is usually seen in people aged 55-65 and is rare for someone of my age. Parts of my tumour may have joined to areas of the brain making it simply too risky to operate. However, other treatments may be possible in the future to reduce its size, or if it becomes malignant.”

While in hospital, Ryan was determined to be back home before his 26th birthday, and managed to make that happen, although his recovery wasn’t easy. “The day I left hospital, I couldn’t walk and had to leave in a wheelchair. Being in bed for over two weeks and having two brain surgeries meant I lost a lot of strength in my legs. Walking 100m from the hospital to the hotel next door tired me out. And the next morning, my girlfriend and I walked about 1km to get breakfast and I was absolutely worn out! As a previously fit young man, who thought nothing of running 5km just for fun, this was a shock. But I knew I wanted to regain my fitness and live a full and active life.”

As a child, Ryan wasn’t ‘sporty’. However, that all changed in secondary school: “At primary school I was quite large and got bullied. That carried on into secondary school until I lost a bit of weight, gained some muscle and started standing up for myself! I started to get involved with various sports at school and really enjoyed pushing myself. I did some cross country running, 400m sprints, rugby and football, basically anything I could!”

As a teenager, Ryan also got involved with cycling, taking part in events in Jersey and the UK, racing in France with members from Velo Sport Jersey and becoming the youngest member of the cycling team at the Bermuda Island Games in 2013. “It was great to be part of such a huge event. But due to some other things happening in my life, I gave up competitive cycling after the Island Games, but always missed it. So between 2013 and 2022 myself and a group of cycling friends met up 2-3 times a week to cycle casually. I’d always wanted to take part in the Duo Normand cycling race but was too young when I was with the Island team. So to finally take part as a group was amazing.”

Unfortunately, since his brain tumour diagnosis, Ryan is no longer able to race competitively so had to find an alternative that supported his journey back to health and was as enjoyable as cycle racing.

Through the counselling Ryan had with the Jersey Brain Tumour Charity, he was introduced to Bex, a local lady who’d been through a similar health journey and was a keen runner. “I’d been through periods of running regularly in the past and always enjoyed it, so we met for a coffee and Bex introduced me to the Rock n Road Runnners group. It’s a local group that don’t ‘do politics’ and have a supportive, inclusive environment where everyone is welcome regardless of age, size or ability.”

Even though he’d been fit and healthy before his diagnosis and was used to the occasional run, Ryan says he still felt nervous before his first session with Rock n Road. Before joining, he spoke to Rik, one of the founders of the group, who was very welcoming and made him feel at ease. “I joined the Thursday evening interval training session and ended up knowing some other people in the group, so the nerves disappeared quickly. And then the pain in the legs came! There are such a wide range of people that attend, including Sha, an amazing guy who lost most of his sight very suddenly last year. He’s brilliant!”

Now, Ryan runs every week around 30km-40km in total, spread out over 3-4 runs either with the Rock n Road running group or by himself. He also tries to do two strength training workouts each week to regain his full strength and muscle mass.

“It’s brutal, but I could be dead! That’s the honest truth. There was a gentleman opposite me in hospital who had one of the same surgeries as me but sadly he ended up paralysed. He couldn’t walk, talk, feed himself or anything. So when I have a bad day I think that that could have been me! I could be in a much worse position. We never know what’s going to happen in the future but for now I’m alive. I’ve come to terms with the fact my life expectancy might be shorter than average, but for now I just want to enjoy life and keep setting goals and targets for myself.”

This summer, Ryan completed the Island Walk, raising money for the Jersey Brain Tumour Charity, and has completed one half-marathon. In October, he will be taking on the Royal Parks Half Marathon, a prestigious race known as one of the best in the world. “Bex has done it, which is how I found out about it. I didn’t get in through the ballot but was accepted through the charity donation route. This time I’ll be raising money for The Brain Tumour Charity (UK based). There will be around 16000 runners taking part so I’m really looking forward to it!”

Ryan credits running and the friendly, welcoming aspect of the Rock n Road running group for his physical recovery and improved mental health. “Running has helped me so much. It’s helped me get through some difficult times and has really helped my mental health. I’m not afraid to say that I needed counselling too as men’s mental health is often not spoken about as much as it should be. Whenever I run, I forget about everything else. It’s just me and the road.”

If you’re suffering with poor mental health, have an illness or disease that’s changed your life, or simply want to get fitter, healthier and happier, Ryan highly recommends joining a group where you can chat, feel part of something bigger and always have someone asking how you are. “Rock n Road have two different ability groups, and there’s always a tail runner so you’ll never be left behind. Everyone has their own targets so you only have to be competitive with yourself. If you’re struggling, don’t stay stuck in your head and in your own bubble, just get out there and enjoy it!”

GET INVOLVED

If you’re reading this and would like to find up more about taking up running in Jersey, here are some useful links to help get you started:

ROCK N ROAD RUNNING GROUP

SPORTS DIRECTORY