A BLAENPENNAL man who is coming back from a serious illness to compete in a 60km bike race has told of days he “didn’t want to wake up”.

Gwion Savill was a “fit and healthy” 30-year-old man who weighed 13 stone when he was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis/Crohn’s disease in June 2012.

Soon after, Gwion lost four stone in weight and was undergoing major surgery in an attempt to save his life.

“I struggled for two years trying many different forms of treatment and medication, but nothing worked,” said Gwion, recalling the years following his diagnosis.

“After trying everything, the doctors suggested my body might finally give up, so I stopped fighting and ended up having a sub-total colectomy in August 2014.”

Gwion described the realisation he may have to live with a colostomy bag for the rest of his life as “terrifying”, and said he was to undergo seven hours of surgery in order to remove all of his colon.

He said: “Coming to terms with this was terrifying, but my body couldn’t take any more and this was the only option. Little did I know this was just the start.

“After seven hours of surgery, which was successful, the surgeons removed all of my colon — five feet in all.”

Gwion, alongside his friends in the Team Bont mountain biking club, will compete in the 60km Dyfi Enduro race on 1 May, and all money he raises will go to Crohn’s and Colitis UK.

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