Andy Fryatt

I'm taking part in the Cardiff Half Marathon 2026 as part of #TeamStroke

I joined #TeamStroke for the Cardiff Half Marathon 2026!

In 2023 I suffered a Stroke affecting my eyesight and Left side, I was temporarily blind only seeing pixelated colours and numbness down the left side of my body and unable to use my arm or leg. I was taken to Addenbrooke's Hospital Cambridge and Immediately in for a Brain scan which confirmed a blood clot in my Brain. 

I was given intravenous clot busting drugs to dissolve the clot. I was admitted to the high dependency Stroke ward and Spent a week in hospital, my eyesight returned within hours of being given the drugs but left with a loss of peripheral vision which over time has fully recovered. I was left with weakness to left side and I knew I was lucky seeing the people on the ward left with disabilities after a Stroke. I wasn't going to let this beat me so I started walking with my wife and my dog and was determined to start running as soon as I could.

 Before my Stroke I had done 3 marathons and 25 half marathons, parkrunning every Saturday morning and competing in 10k and various distance races with Newmarket joggers my local running club, after 3 months I took part in the Big Half London for me this was massive and I knew my recovery was going the right way.

id had so much help from the Stroke recovery team over the first year I can't thank them enough and Dr Nicholas Evens my Stroke consultant still 3 years on keeps regular contact to see my progress and is amazed how I'm doing.

Another set back last year when after endless hospital visits, CT scans, MRI scans echo scans etc they found hole in my heart which needed surgery, so in  March 2025 I had the surgery and started the recovery process again, i kept on running and took part in my first post op half in January 2026 and signed up to Cardiff super half and Berlin super half I will complete the series and hope to raise as much as I can for the Stroke association.