Aberdeen man, 22, takes on fitness challenge 18 months after brain tumour diagnosis
Connor Moir was told he had a brain tumour in August 2022.
An Aberdeen man will be taking on the challenging Hyrox race 18 months after a brain tumour left him unable to walk.
Connor Moir was just 21-years-old when he was told he had a meningioma brain tumour in August 2022 after experiencing excruciating migraines and numbness on one side of his body.
Having just moved to St. Andrews to start a new job, he felt like everything had suddenly been "stripped away" from him.
He said: “When they told me I just thought that was my ticket getting punched. I was 21 at the time and I thought, I’ve had 21 years on this planet - I’ve done great. This is where I cross the finish line.
“It was unbelievably horrific. I just decided there and then that was the end and that was pretty much my mindset throughout the entire ordeal.
"It ripped every bit of hope out of me that I had and completely crushed my soul.”
Connor went to the hospital and in just six days, he underwent a six-hour operation which successfully removed most of the tumour.
However, he was left with very low mobility and couldn't walk unassisted or without crutches.
He felt the recovery was harder than being told he had a tumour: “The road to recovery was paved with blood, sweat and tears, and I mean that literally.
"For about two months I had very little control over the entire right side of my body, as the tumour was located on the part of my brain that controlled that side.
"This made even the simplest of tasks almost impossible to complete independently. I couldn't walk without a crutch. I couldn't even take a shower by myself.
“But for me, the hardest part was the mental recovery.
"Between August 2022 and the beginning of 2023 I was plagued by depression and anxiety and I will admit, I almost lost that mental battle, but thankfully my family noticed and I was able to open up to them about my feelings and they managed to get me the help I needed.”
Now, Connor said he appreciates the simple things in life like going for a walk, taking a trip to the shops and cooking dinner.
He has now been inspired to celebrate his physical recovery by taking on the Hyrox fitness race in Glasgow on Sunday 3 March, after watching his friend Laszlo compete last summer.
The challenge combines both running and functional workouts such as sled pulls and sandbag lunges - repeated eight times.
He said he will draw on his recent illness for inspiration and use it as a driving force: “My lack of mobility after my tumour and the dependency I developed at this time crushed me as I’m normally helping others.
“Once I was able to walk by myself, I went to watch Laszlo compete in the Hyrox Solo category last year. The atmosphere in that hall was electric. I saw the hard work he was putting in to cross that finish line and I was genuinely moved.
“I decided then and there that I was going to compete in the event the following year. If I can get across that finish line, I have recovered, I will have beaten the tumour, and I am free.”
He will be fundraising for The Brain Tumour Charity and has so far raised over £1,100.
You can donate here.