Growing up with a ball at his feet, Derek Rae dreamed of being a professional footballer in his younger years but in adolescence, discovered his talent for distance running.
“I started running when I was 18 – purely as a way to improve my fitness on the pitch,” he explained.
Derek ran his first marathon in 2009 and again the following year.
“I was a 3.03 marathon runner, so a good club athlete at best.”
“But what I never could have expected was that running would literally end up saving my life.”
Just 3 weeks after running his second marathon in 2010, Derek was in a motorcycle accident that would change the trajectory of his life.
“Considering the injuries I sustained and the condition I was in, I should not be here,” he told us.
“But it was the level of fitness I had at that point that saved my life.
“For that, I will always owe running something back.”
A Long Road Ahead
After spending 6 weeks in hospital, Derek was discharged with limited mobility and no movement at all in his right arm and was convinced that his sporting days were behind him.
In the months that followed, he continued to work with a physiotherapist and began to see small improvements and 6 months after his accident, managed to run the length of the gym.
“I genuinely still consider that to be one of my best runs,” he shared.
“I had found a part of me that I thought was never going to return.”
The next step for Derek was to find a way to control his right arm whilst he was running.
“I’d never heard of or seen anything like what I was after, so I posted on a running forum asking for help and was pointed in the direction of a man in America who makes the slings I have worn ever since.
“That was the real game changer.
“After that, there was no stopping me.”
Achieving the Unachievable
Complete with his sling, Derek started running again and completed the Edinburgh Marathon just 11 months after his accident.
“After completing my first marathon post-accident, I knew I wanted to take it a step further and at some point down the line heard that British Athletics was looking for new para talent,” he told us.
With a focus on getting noticed, Derek entered the 2014 London Marathon and shaved his time down to 2.45. The following year, he represented Great Britain for the first time in the same city at the 2015 IPC Marathon World Cup.
“That whole experience was absolutely nuts,” he told us.
“I arrived in London a few days before the race and was staying in the same hotel as all the elites, all the guys I had looked up to and admired for so many years.
“I just remember thinking, how on earth have I ended up here.”
Since then, Derek has gone on to represent GB at two Paralympic Games and has travelled all across the globe to train and compete.
“The last 10 years of my life have been an absolute dream,”
“When I look back, although my accident and the months that followed were the worst of my life, I wouldn’t change it now.
“Running completely saved me. If I hadn’t had it to focus on, I’m really not sure where I’d be.”
Reflecting on his running career, Derek credits the team around him for allowing him to excel in the sport.
“I’ve been lucky to have had all these experiences, but I’ve been even luckier to have worked with all the people I have.
“I always say that in my sport, there’s no one else that can get me to the finish line, but there’s a whole team of people that have got me to the start line.”
Changing Track
Fast forward to 2025, Derek now finds himself taking on a new challenge, in an entirely new sport.
“I was out on an easy run just a couple of weeks after completing the Great Scottish Run back in 2022 and I felt my ankle go,” he explained.
“I knew instantly that something wasn’t right and got booked in for a scan.”
Derek’s scan revealed a stress fracture in his right ankle.
“In the weeks and months after, I was working really hard with my physio to get it back into shape, but we were just having no joy.”
After undergoing ankle surgery in 2023 followed by a strict rehab period, Derek was still having issues. He travelled to London to see an ankle specialist in February of last year where he was told that his competitive running days were more than likely behind him.
“It obviously wasn’t what I wanted to hear but I also wasn’t surprised to hear it.
“It was an emotional day, but I also felt a weight had been lifted off my shoulders.”
During his appointment in London, the ankle specialist suggested Derek turn to swimming or cycling as an alternative form of exercise.
“Swimming isn’t much good for a guy that can only use one arm but luckily, I had a lot of experience on the watt bike and had used it loads in preparation for the Tokyo Paralympics.”
After some encouragement from his wife, coaches, and friends, Derek eventually went along to the Velodrome to give track cycling a go
“I was really apprehensive heading into that first session. It was only the second time I’d been on a non-static bike since my accident,” he explained.
“I was completely welcomed with open arms by the team at Scottish Cycling and the other riders,
“That was 6 months ago now, and I’ve been loving it ever since.”
Embracing New Challenges
When thinking ahead to the future, Derek shares that he feels lucky to be in a position where the pressure is off and it’s simply down to him to see what he can achieve.
Fresh off the back of his first major competition, the British Track Championships, last weekend, Derek is as determined as ever to give the sport his all.
“I was really pleased with my performances at the weekend and feel very proud of my overall commitment and determination over these last 6 months.
“Entering a new sport at this age and stage of my life is strange but exciting,
“I achieved more than I could have ever imagined in my running career so now’s my chance to just enjoy being in the moment and see where this takes me.
“With cycling, I’ve always said that I’ve got absolutely nothing to lose, but a whole lot to gain.”
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Cycling Images credit: SWpix
