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Round-the-world cyclist breaks back taking picture

Mariam Issimdar
News imageMatilda Pine Matilda Pine wears a neck brace and lies on a hospital bed. She is holding her hand up and doing the peace sign with two fingers.Matilda Pine
Matilda Pine was on a round-the-world cycling adventure when she broke her back falling off a friend's shoulders

A round-the-world cyclist broke her back in a freak accident as she tried to take a picture while on her friend's shoulders.

Matilda Pine, from Norwich, set off on a two-year expedition on 4 April, and was in Turkey when she fell, fracturing her back in two places.

The 30-year-old, who was also hoping to raise some money for the charity Cycle for Good, said: "I was having the time of my life doing this trip. 100% I will return."

She is now waiting to be flown back to the UK to continue with her recovery following her accident on 10 July.

Pine told BBC Radio Norfolk's Chris Goreham she had been preparing for her trip for seven years, gearing up both physically and mentally.

She documented her travels on social media, speaking about chance encounters, acts of kindness from strangers and posting images of incredible landscapes.

However, her adventure came to an abrupt halt after her fall.

"As I was climbing onto my friend's shoulders and he went to stand up, I just flipped off backwards and landed on my back," she said.

The accident happened in a remote field and she was left lying on the ground for two hours before her friend then helped her walk to a road where they picked up a taxi to a treatment centre.

An X-ray confirmed she had fractured her back, damaging her vertebrae, but no spinal cord damage was evident.

News imageMatilda Pine Matilda Pine kneels and takes a photo of a sign behind her saying Hellas (Greece). The square sign is painted in European Union flag colours- blue with gold stars. Her bike with its carry-bags is propped up agaianst the sign.Matilda Pine
Matilda Pine was travelling solo and is seen here in Greece

She is now in a hospital in Kayseri, Turkey, while her travel insurance company arranges for her to travel back to the UK on a stretcher in a plane.

"In the last few days I've been able to walk a bit, which suggests my feet work and everything," said Pine.

"The fractures are stable and my spinal cord hasn't been affected.

"So I can walk. I will make a full recovery eventually."

Her journey up until the accident took her through the Balkans, with a few thousand people following her exploration on social media.

News imageMatilda Pine Matilda Pine stands next to her bike and has an arm raised. She is near mountains in Kosovo. She has written on her photo "Kosovo, the place I never intended to find".Matilda Pine
Pine had travelled across several Balkan territories before her accident

Medics have put the brakes on her travelling for now though, warning it will be at least six months before she can get back on her bike.

"I'm incredibly disappointed that my journey had to end now. It's been very emotional on all levels," Pine said.

She plans to resume her world-wide adventure when she recovers and to revisit central Asia.

News imageMatilda Pine Matilda in a dark tunnel looks out towards the light while astride her bike. She wears a cycle helmet. Matilda Pine
Matilda Pine in a tunnel in a canyon close to Kemaliye. It is described as one of Turkey's most extreme terrains with sheer drops.

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