The Incredible Comeback Story of Kirsty Spriggs

A former RAF cross-country mountain bike racer, Kirsty was told following an accident in August 2024 that she would not be riding her bike again for the foreseeable future. The injury forced her to step away from a sport that had been central to her life, as well as from her role as an RAF nurse for almost a year.

But rather than giving up cycling, Kirsty has found a new way to do it.

Through her rehabilitation, she was introduced to recumbent cycling, a form of cycling that has allowed her to return to the outdoors and rediscover the freedom she had associated with riding before her injury. Now, she is preparing to take on a seven-day, self-supported cycling tour around the Cairngorms later this year.

“I was told early on that I would not be riding my bike again for the foreseeable future and this was devastating, as I was on my bike at most opportunities I got, whether it be training, racing, developing others or socially with my husband,” Kirsty said.

“I lost my identity as a nurse and as a mountain biker overnight.”

Kirsty joined the Princess Mary's Royal Air Force Nursing Service in 2016 and has worked at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham and Queen Victoria Hospital in East Grinstead. An RAF Burns and Plastics nurse, she has deployed twice on Operation CATALYSE and has built her career around caring for patients with complex wounds.

Outside of her career, mountain biking was a major part of her life. She gained her mountain bike instructor qualification through the military and represented the RAF in cross-country racing.

Following her accident, recovery was long, slow and painful. As movement and pain allowed, Kirsty attended rehabilitation courses where she was introduced to the Invictus Games Foundation platform and the opportunities available through the Invictus Community.

The platform gave her the chance to try different sports, as well as adapted versions of sports she had enjoyed before her injury. She signed up for the virtual Marvel Superhero Series, which helped her return to cycling on her turbo bike.

“One of the things I loved most was that I could do as little or as much as I was able to manage, which meant I could rebuild my fitness at my own pace without feeling pressured,” she said.

Although Kirsty did not know the other members of her team, the experience gave her a renewed sense of purpose and connection.

“I genuinely felt part of something bigger,” she said. “At a time when injury had taken away much of my routine and motivation, the challenge gave me a renewed sense of purpose.”

The Invictus Games Foundation platform also introduced Kirsty to fly fishing, leading to an opportunity to join an Invictus Adventure to Austria.

“It was an incredible experience, being surrounded by current and former service men and women from different countries who had faced similar challenges to me created an instant sense of understanding and camaraderie,” she said.

“Spending time in such a beautiful environment, learning a new skill and connecting with people who truly understood, with no judgement, was both therapeutic and inspiring.”

It was then through a Battle Back course that Kirsty was introduced to recumbent cycling. After researching her options, she found an off-road recumbent bike and was able to secure funding towards its purchase.

“This was a real turning point in my recovery,” Kirsty said. “It gave me the opportunity to get back outdoors and enjoy cycling again in a way that felt safe and manageable.”

“The freedom of being back on a bike was incredible. It allowed me to clear my head, focus on something positive and regain a sense of independence that I had been missing.”

Recumbent cycling has now become an important part of Kirsty's rehabilitation, allowing her to continue challenging herself while adapting to the physical changes caused by her injury.

It has also given her the confidence to set herself a new goal, Kirsty is undertaking a seven-day, self-supported cycling tour around the Cairngorms mountain range in the Scottish Highlands. The challenge will combine the physical demands of long-distance cycling with the planning and preparation required to complete the route independently.

“I decided I wanted to take on a challenge that reflected the kind of adventures I enjoyed before my injury,” Kirsty said. “I wanted to give my cycling a renewed sense of purpose by setting myself a meaningful goal, planning the route, preparing kit and committing to see it through.”

For Kirsty, the challenge is about more than completing the route. It is a celebration of how far her recovery has taken her and an opportunity to raise money and awareness for the organisations that have supported her.

“The challenge became much more than simply completing the ride,” she said. “Taking on this challenge reminded me that, although my journey looks different now, I can still set ambitious goals, push my limits, and make a positive difference for others.”

You can follow her story on her Instagram page here and support her fundraising here.