A fundraising appeal has been launched to a help a woman suffering from a debilitating condition get a liberating handcycle.

Lil Green, who is 28 and lives in Mile End, Colchester, suffers from a number of disabilities which put her through excruciating pain on a daily basis.

Miss Green, who lives with her seven-year-old son, Ollie, started suffering from fibromyalgia symptoms when she was just a child.

The condition – which there is no cure for – causes pain all over the body as well as extreme fatigue and muscle stiffness.

It has been an immensely challenging 14 years for Miss Green, who has been confined to a wheelchair for the past three years but a trip to the Northern Gateway sports centre in Colchester has offered her a huge outlet to lift her spirits.

She said: “I saw a load of adverts about Northern Gateway opening and saw they were going to have handcycles there.

“I thought ‘Let’s have a look to see what it’s all about, let’s give it a go’.”

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There, she met a fellow handcyclist Gary Donald, who is part of the London Wheelchair Triathlon Club.

“It was totally by chance,” she said.

“He said: ‘We’ve got a handcycle here – let’s get you on the track with it’.”

For someone who wheels herself around Colchester, getting on a handcycle was nothing short of exhilarating.

“I love it,” Miss Green said.

“I get to go faster than I would normally. It’s one of the best feelings I’ve had in a long time.”

But with handcycles costing close to £3,000, Miss Green is hoping for some help so she can buy one herself.

If she manages to buy one, she hopes to join the London Wheelchair Triathlon club, where she would be able to meet other handcyclists, and maybe even get the chance to compete.

“I might be able to enter some fun races,” she said.

“I will be able to be part of something for once – it will give me a bit more confidence as well.”

Anyone wishing to donate to Lil Green’s cause can do so via www.gofundme.com/f/help-lil-get-her-handcycle