IN November 1996, Ian Rooney was on his way home from visiting his mother in hospital when he was hit by a man riding a motorbike. Doctors said it was unlikely he would walk again. But sheer determination and belief has enabled him to reclaim his life. Karen Stephen reports

MERCIFULLY, Ian Rooney cannot remember much of what happened on the night of the accident.

He was walking home along a road in Radcliffe when he was hit by a motorbike and flung into the air.

In the accident he lost all feeling and use in the left side of his body, suffered a punctured left lung and his left ear was almost ripped off. Later he suffered a debilitating stroke.

So bad were his injuries, when police and paramedics arrived at the scene, Ian could not remember his name, address or why he was there.

He was taken to Bury hospital and police appealed in the Bolton Evening News for anyone who knew him to come forward.

Doctors didn't give Ian much chance of any kind of recovery, let alone being able to walk again.

Now, almost 10 years on, he works out for over an hour and a half, three times a week, in the gym at the Excel Centre in Bolton plus a couple more sessions at Withins leisure centre in Breightmet.

Ian puts his recovery down to his belief in rehabilitation exercise.

The accident almost cost him his mobility and he could have spent the rest of his life confined to a wheelchair.

"I was a bit of a mess after the accident," says Ian, now 46. "I reckon the doctors didn't think I had much of a chance. But I didn't want to be stuck doing nothing.

"I'd worked all over Europe as a flagger - I was used to hard graft and the manual nature of my job meant I was always really fit."

But because of the job's requirements, Ian has never been able to return to the work he loved.

Today he walks with a slight limp and, because of the stroke, suffers from short term memory loss.

But it is testament to the years of rehabilitation and physiotherapy - he had to learn to walk again - that Ian has "got his life back".

He still walks with a limp and his speech is slower and perhaps a little more laboured than it was, but that does not deter him from keeping fit.

Richard Hyland is active health officer with the Active Health Referral Scheme, funded by East Bolton New Regeneration and has been working with Ian since he was referred to the programme by his practice nurse in July last year.

Richard says: "When Ian first came to Excel he could only manage about five minutes on the treadmill and because of his injuries he really struggled with anything more.

"The referral scheme is an eight week programme and through supervised sessions and sheer hard work and determination on his part, he managed to build up his strength and stamina.

"It really is a credit to him how he has progressed. He comes here three times a week and spends about 40 minutes on the treadmill and rowing machine."

Ian, from Breightmet, completed his eight weeks on the scheme last year but has continued to go the gym as a member.

He says: "It has become part of my life and without the training I know I wouldn't be able to walk. Who knows where I'd be."

Although Ian can tackle the equipment on his own, he still needs an instructor to programme each piece of apparatus for him before he uses it and to keep an eye on him during the sessions.

"That's probably something to do with his short term memory loss," says Richard. "You can show Ian something and he will forget it almost immediately.

"That's one of the reasons he can't go back to work - he really wants to but it's impossible."

But Ian is the last person to dwell on the negative effects of his accident.

Yes, he is the first to admit his life did change for ever on that night of November 14, 1996 but he says: "Lives do change and mine did that night. But my life changed again when I started coming here for my workouts.

"Thanks to the dedication of everyone who has helped me, I now have a good quality of life."

The Active Heart Referral Scheme is an eight week programme funded by East Bolton New Regeneration within Bolton Council.

Richard Hyland says: "People come here by way of a referral from their GP or practice nurse and, once they have completed the two months, they can stay at the centre as a member. The Excel Centre is also open to the public who can either pay each time they come, or take out a membership."