A FORMER soldier with a spinal injury has been thanked by Help for Heroes after cycling thousands of miles and raising a whopping £20,000 for the charity.

Veteran Justin Henderson, 41, who grew up in York, admits to having hated cycling when he was in the army. But since being given a recumbent tricycle in 2014, he has devoted much of his spare time in the saddle.

When he is not on the road, training for a long-distance ride, Justin can usually be found pedalling his bike in the foyer of a supermarket or a Moto service station, with a collecting bucket for donations by his side.

In between, the father-of-two works as a part-time receptionist at Help for Heroes northern Recovery Centre in Catterick.

It was there that the charity’s director of fundraising, Alistair Lockhart, surprised Justin with a certificate to mark his dedication to the cause in front of a gathering of staff.

Mr Lockhart said: “Justin is not just a fundraiser, he is a beneficiary who has chosen to do this for the charity in recognition of the support he received, and that is the ultimate endorsement of everything we do.”

Colburn resident Justin was given a recumbent trike in 2014 by a fellow beneficiary to enable him to take part in a cycling tour of regional war memorials – from Seaham to Ripon in six days - organised by Phoenix House. He has hardly stopped cycling since.

A freak accident while stationed in Germany left Justin with a broken back and limited mobility and he was medically discharged. His fractured L5 vertebra was been replaced with a prosthetic vertebra and has to manage constant pain.

He said: “I struggled to imagine what life beyond the military would entail but Help for Heroes opened many doors for me and that’s why I do what I do.”

Justin will take part in this year’s 350-mile Hero Ride from Lille in France to Arnhem in Netherlands. To sponsor him, visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Justin-Hendersonbbbr17