Hereford man with hole in neck to compete in triathlon

During the first UK lockdown, Richard Andrews (right) was made redundant from his sales job

A man who was left with a hole in his neck after cancer treatment is set to compete in a triathlon.

Richard Andrews, 56, from Hereford, was diagnosed with stage two laryngeal cancer in 2018.

Gruelling treatment and surgery saw his voice box and lymph nodes removed, as he was left unable to speak for months.

In a bid to improve his fitness he took on 10k races and ultra-marathons, but said a triathlon presented its own complications.

"The biggest challenge has been learning to swim again with my specially designed snorkel which fits into the hole in my neck," he said.

"Learning to breathe in a totally new way whilst swimming has been rather nerve-racking."

Four years ago, the father-of-three was in a very different place.

Initially Mr Andrews thought he was just suffering from a "savage" sore throat and "extreme" earache.

However, he was given the news that he had malignant tumour on his vocal chord after being referred to an ear, nose and throat specialist and undergoing a biopsy.

"My reaction was strangely positive immediately, but my wife didn't take it well," he recalled.

Following the diagnosis, he underwent 30 sessions of radiotherapy which led to him losing three stone.

A month after being given the all clear, in January 2019, Mr Andrews started running, cycling and swimming in preparation for a duathlon and 10k.

But he once again began to suffer from shortness of breath and earache - the cancer had returned.

Richard Andrews 56, with his wife Ann and their three children

In July 2019, the supermarket worker underwent surgery to remove his voice box and lymph nodes, which left him with a hole in his throat.

"My mouth is no longer used for breathing, and my nose doesn't work at all except for holding my glasses on my face," he said.

"The biggest effect was on the family as I couldn't talk for four months, which was extremely frustrating.

"I lost a further three stone and was very weak so the training started again to rebuild the lost strength."

A specially-made snorkel connected to Richard's neck

Mr Andrews went on to complete a half marathon three months after his operation.

He said a triathlon was the "obvious choice" for his next challenge, partly because he was unaware of any other laryngectomy patient taking one on.

"I decided to go one step further and complete a half ironman which involves a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile cycle and a 13.1-mile run," he said.

"The support I have received from everyone, the doctors, nurses, dieticians and my specialist speech therapist have been truly awesome and have literally kept me going.

"Over the last three years my family has been the reason I have survived all the ups and downs."

His first event is on 8 May in Harrogate.

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