Former Speedway racer Garry Stead, 52, from Yorkshire, has faced incredible challenges, including a crash in 2007 that left him paralysed from the waist down. In September 2023, Garry experienced seizures that revealed a low-grade meningioma which had likely been growing for over a decade. His symptoms, including speech difficulties and partial paralysis in his right arm, worsened as he waited 1 year for surgery. In September 2024, the tumour was successfully removed, but Garry now faces new challenges, including lesion epilepsy, reduced arm mobility and losing his ability to drive. Despite this, he remains determined to regain his independence and is supported by his partner Angie, who has been a source of strength throughout his journey.

Garry tells his story…

I’m no stranger to life’s challenges. I’ve faced plenty, both on and off the track, from a young age. The biggest came in 2007 when, as a Speedway racer, I was involved in a crash that left me paralysed from the waist down. Rehabilitation during that time was gruelling, I lost my speech and so much else. It took years of therapy to regain some sense of normality. I got through it, but I could never have predicted what was to come next.

For the past three years, I hadn’t felt quite right. But as a sportsman with a strong will and mindset, I just powered through, ignoring my health and focusing on daily life. That all changed on 28 September 2023. Angie, my partner, and I were on our way to Poland to watch the Speedway Grand Prix when I had what felt like a stroke in the car on the M62. We ended up in Calderdale Hospital after the symptoms kept coming and going during the drive.

Initially, the staff asked if we could return the next day to see the stroke team, but Angie, being a health worker, knew something was seriously wrong. She refused to leave until I was properly seen. Thanks to her persistence, they carried out a CT scan. The results were shocking - it showed evidence of previous stroke damage but also revealed a large 47mm wide brain tumour, about the size of a satsuma.

Finding out the tumour may have been growing for over a decade was devastating. I can’t help but wonder how life might have been different if it had been caught earlier.

We were told we’d need to consult a neurosurgeon about options for removing the tumour, but it took six long months to get an appointment at Leeds General Infirmary. By that time, my symptoms had worsened. My speech was slurred, I felt confused, and I began to experience partial paralysis in my right arm. At first, we were told these were transient ischemic attacks (TIAs), or mini strokes, so I was prescribed stroke medication. Later, we learned this was actually lesion epilepsy from the tumour.

Finally, on 16 September 2024, I underwent surgery at Leeds General Infirmary to remove the tumour. There was a real concern that the operation might not go ahead because my body doesn’t coagulate blood as quickly as it should, possibly linked to the paralysis. Thankfully, the surgery was a success. I stayed in hospital for five weeks to recover.

The operation saved my life, but it also brought new challenges. I struggle with everyday tasks like shaving and putting on a coat because I still don’t have full control or sensation in my right arm. I used to speak several languages but have lost that ability as well. The hardest blow, though, has been losing my independence, particularly having to stop driving.

Not being able to drive has made me feel cut off from the world, as though my freedom has been taken away.

Recovery has been lonely, but Angie and so many others have helped me on the journey. Angie introduced me to Brain Tumour Research and even completed the 99 Miles in November challenge, wearing my old racing suit and a Viking hat, a tribute to my team, the Hull Vikings, to raise funds.

A key focus of my recovery was attending the annual World Riders Speedway Association Awards dinner on 9 November. As an honorary member since my crash, I’ve attended every year, and I’m proud to say this year was no exception.

Now, my biggest goal is to regain my driving independence and, maybe, take a holiday somewhere warm to put this strange year behind me.

I firmly believe that a winner never quits, and a quitter never wins. I’ll get my independence back soon. I’m determined to make it happen.

Garry Stead

December 2024

One in three people in the UK knows someone affected by a brain tumour. This disease is indiscriminate; it can affect anyone at any age. What’s more, brain tumours continue to kill more children and adults under the age of 40 than any other cancer yet, to date, just 1% of the national spend on cancer research has been allocated to this devastating disease since records began in 2002.

Brain Tumour Research is determined to change this.

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