Man paralysed down one side close to achieving dream of driving 44 tonne lorry

SWNS

A man who is paralysed down one side has passed his test to drive a 44 tonne lorry - and is one step closer to his dream job of driving for Eddie Stobart..  Nigel Bowler, 32, has two hands but is paralysed on his right side, so is unable to move his right hand and foot.  Inspirational Nigel has always wanted to follow in the footsteps of lorry driver granddad Ernie Bowler, who delivered for a local dairy company and passed away in 1997.  He thought it was out of the question - until he answered a Job Centre call out looking for articulated lorry drivers.  Nigel took the rigorous HGV Class 1 licence in an artic - 99% of lorries are automatic - and passed with flying colours.  He's now searching for his first job in the industry - with Eddie Stobart the ultimate goal.  Nigel, from Wantage, Oxon., said: "When I passed I felt so overwhelmed I just burst in to tears.  I just can’t wait to get a career in class one driving  "For some people this would be just a job but for me it's a massive achievement - it's huge!  "It's literally my dream come true. It's everything I've always wanted to do.  "My disability is a part of me but I don't let it stop me - I never have.  "I've had to use my left hand every day for 32 years.  "My left side has definitely compensated by becoming stronger.  "I just want to show other disabled people that you can follow and achieve your dreams.  "This world is not made for disabled people to live in easily - it is definitely made for two-handed people.  "Some disabled people find it really dispiriting and I just want them to know they can do anything they want to."  Nigel's right leg is 3cm shorter than his left, and he has reduced movement in his right arm.  The right side of his body is weaker than the left too, because of a condition he's had since birth called hemiplegia.  Nigel does weights everyday to keep himself as strong as possible.  He struggles with some everyday tasks like tying his shoe laces, and has to drive automatic vehicles.  He passed his car driving test in 2014.  Nigel wanted to be a lorry driver like his granddad Ernie Bowler, who passed away in 1997.  But working as a support worker, in retail, and in skip hire, didn't earn him enough to pay for his training, he said.  Nigel also got held back by depression after his mum Carol England died suddenly from a heart attack aged 55 in 2016.  But he kept on trucking and found a funded training scheme through the Job Centre at the start of last year.  And, on Jan 19, he was overjoyed to pass his test so he can now have his licence updated to say that he can drive the biggest articulated lorries.  He said: "I drive with one hand and my lorry driving instructor was amazing - when I started he said 'Nigel, if I can drive this thing with one hand then you sure can'.  "My mother and I were very close. I hope she is looking down on me and knowing that she made a brilliant son.  "It took a lot of will power and motivation, but I'm extremely proud of my achievement.  "Now I just need an articulated lorry job.  "I’d so love to work for Eddie Stobart. That would be my absolute dream come true.  “I would like other disabled people to know… Things do get tough, but everybody has their own disabilities and difficulties.  “Just try to find hope and positivity - find the thing you love and your own open road."

Transcript

00:00 My name is Nigel Bowler. My disability is called right-sided hemiplegia. The umbilical cord got

00:06 wrapped around my neck. I wasn't diagnosed for it until I was about three years old. It just

00:11 affects my right side. I can't use my right arm at all. My right leg is three centimetres shorter

00:17 than my left. My achievement, which is my biggest achievement yet, I've literally passed my class

00:23 one articulated lorry. It's so overwhelming. It really is. Having this licence now will give me

00:32 the future that I need and I've wanted it for a long, long time.

00:37 Because of a programme called Bootcamp, I've achieved my goal.

00:43 I'm Susie Watson. So I work for Partners in Bristol. We manage the online learning and the

00:50 Bootcamp. My name's Chloe. I also work for Partners in Bristol. I teach first aid, NVQ levels two and

00:57 three in care and I also am a Bootcamp coordinator. The whole point of Bootcamp is that the learners

01:04 gain their licence. They can go into a commercial working environment and all will be well. We get

01:11 them a job at the end of it. Nigel's put it very clearly for everybody. He's been really passionate

01:16 about what he wants from this programme. He's been one of the top students, I would say. You always

01:22 get people that don't contact you as much, whereas Nigel's been there every step of the way.

01:26 Because of my disability, I did have a bit of a shortfall because it took me about two to three

01:30 months to get my provisional lorry licence. But eventually DVLA let me, which I'm very thankful

01:39 for. I mean, obviously I passed my car test in 2014 and I've been driving nearly 10 years. I

01:47 come across this Bootcamp, which allowed me to, I think it's government funded, because I would

01:57 never have found that money to do this. So I'm very grateful. It's amazing now that I've got

02:04 this licence. It would change my future. Absolutely. Because I'm telling you now, it has been a

02:09 struggle. Literally, I didn't want to give up until I had this licence. I literally cried. I'm

02:17 not going to lie to you. I was in tears. I thought as soon as the examiner said, "Congratulations,

02:22 Nigel, you passed." That was it. I was in tears because it's a dream come true. I'm able to now

02:29 pay for a holiday. You don't know how much that means to me. It means the world having this

02:44 licence. I want to be a lorry driver. Now I've got this licence, I want that experience. I want

02:50 to be on the road. I want to earn that money. That's all I want to do. It's just have a nice

02:56 life, have a good future, provide for my family. He's been a star student from the start. So it's

03:02 been really, really beneficial and rewarding to work with him. I'm Simon Arnold and I'm a Director

03:07 of Partners in Bristol. The boot camp is fantastic. We get the support from the West of England

03:12 Combined Authority that give us a package of funding to support an individual right from the

03:17 beginning of their journey to become a professional lorry driver. So we take people from the very

03:22 beginning right up to the world of work and support them with an interview and anything else they need

03:27 throughout their journey.

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