Cystic fibrosis no bar to Euro bike ride

A Broome man living with cystic fibrosis is preparing to take on a mammoth challenge when he embarks on a long-distance bike ride across Europe in August.

Paul Fowler was diagnosed with CF at 16 months.

Despite living with the life-threatening recessive genetic condition, Mr Fowler said he felt fortunate not to have been limited by CF as a boy.

“It was pretty devastating for my parents at the time, but I was never treated any differently and I think that played a large part in the way it didn’t affect my daily life,” he said.

“It doesn’t affect me in the same way it affects a lot of people, so I’m pretty lucky in that regard.”

When he was 12, Mr Fowler read an article about CF which said the life expectancy of sufferers was 30.

At that point, the youngster made a deal with himself to prove the article wrong when he reached that age.

Fast forward 18 years, and after turning 30 late last year, Mr Fowler is now shaping his own narrative by embarking on a 4000km bike ride across Europe to raise $10,000 for Cystic Fibrosis WA.

The ride will take him along the EuroVelo trail from the northern coast of France, through parts of Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Serbia, Bulgaria and on to the Black Sea coast in Romania.

Mr Fowler will document his journey on Instagram and hopes it will be a positive story not just for people living with CF, but also for parents of youngsters with the condition.

“I want parents to realise that it’s not so limiting and that they should be able to allow their kids to do everything that normal kids would do.”

For more information or to make a donation, visit www.everydayhero.com.au and search for Paul Fowler or visit the Paul Michael Photography Facebook page.