A Perthshire firefighter has told of the “soul-destroying” moment he almost lost his arm in a bike crash.
Piotr Gudan, who lives in Blairgrowrie, was given the devastating news that his left arm may have to be amputated following the cycling accident in 2014.
The dad-of-one, originally from Poland, had only lived in the town with his now wife for six months when the incident took place.
But, despite his prognosis, Piotr has since gone one to make a full recovery, and is now running the Edinburgh Marathon to raise money for the charity that supported him.
‘It was soul-destroying’
The bike crash happened shortly after Piotr opened an outdoor activity centre in Blairgowrie and joined the ranks of the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS).
He said: “After coming to Blairgowrie, I opened my own outdoor adventure business and also joined SFRS as an on call firefighter.
“But within six months I had the accident and was told my left arm may have to be amputated, or that I could lose all feeling in it.
“It was soul-destroying.
“I had not long moved here and didn’t really know anyone, but the support I got from local senior officers and my colleagues reaffirmed that the SFRS was a good place to be.”
Piotr was aided back to health with support from The Fire Fighters Charity.
A fortnight’s rehabilitation at the charity’s Jubilee House facility in Cumbria saw him make a remarkable recovery and return to operational duty within the same year.
He is now running the Edinburgh Marathon to raise funds for the organisation – two years after taking up the hobby.
Piotr, who is dad to four-year-old Dominic, said: “The Fire Fighters Charity gave me the chance to return to work in the same year as my accident, so being able to support them definitely gives you extra motivation to dig deep and keep going.
“I used to hate running, but eventually did a half marathon with nine members of the Blairgowrie crew 18 months ago in aid of charity.
“It was very difficult – I could hardly walk after I crossed the finish line.
“Now I’ve signed up for the full marathon and people think I am crazy.”
Scottish fire service launches recruitment drive for on call firefighters
As SFRS launches a recruitment drive for on call firefighters across Scotland – Piotr says he is passionate about serving his community in the role.
He said: “As an on call firefighter, you are living and breathing your community.
“It gives a great sense of self-fulfilment and connects you with local people – I love it.”
