Paralysed British woman fulfils dream of riding a superbike, raises over $7,000 for charity

A British woman who is paralysed from the chest down fulfilled her dream of riding a superbike, speeding up to 135kmh and raising more than £4,400 (S$7,400) for a charity.

Ms Claire Lomas, 43, said she “never dreamt” she would be able to achieve the feat since a horse-riding accident in 2007 left her unable to walk.

On Saturday, the former event rider got on a specially adapted superbike – which saw her strapped in and her toes secured to the footplates – to ride on the North West 200 racecourse in Northern Ireland.

During the ride on the 24.4km course, Ms Lomas achieved speeds of up to 135kmh.

“It was such an amazing feeling. When I was lying in hospital after my accident, I never dreamt I’d be able to do anything like this,” British broadcaster BBC reported her as saying.

“I got up to 84mph. It made me feel free.”

She added: “I think I’ve got the bug for this now.”

She admitted that she was nervous before the ride, especially since she has never ridden a motorcycle before.

“I can’t feel anything below my chest, but I could feel the butterflies in my stomach.”

The icing to her achievement, though, is that she managed to raise more than £4,400 for the Nicholls Spinal Injury Foundation, a charity dedicated to funding research into curing spinal injury paralysis.

North West 200 event director Mervyn Whyte praised Ms Lomas for her “remarkable” achievement, saying her determination and courage are an “inspiration” to everyone.

This is not the first physical challenge Ms Lomas has attempted ever since her accident, which left her with a punctured lung, broken ribs, a broken neck and back.

In 2012, she became the first person to complete the London Marathon in a “bionic” suit.

In the same year, she lit the Paralympic cauldron in Trafalgar Square in front of then Prime Minister David Cameron and London mayor Boris Johnson.

She also “cycled” from Nottingham to London in 2013, using a handbike.