Teenager Joshua Stewart used to get bullied about his hunchback.
Now just 12 months after a major operation the 17-year-old is preparing to leave his tormentors in the dust by saddling up for a gruelling 400 mile leg of the Tour de France.
The youngster, from Alderholt, has signed up for the Etape du Tour, a stage of the bike race which is open to the public.
Beat the bullies: Joshua Stewart has recovered so quickly after his op he is taking part in a leg of the Tour de France
Joshua was devastated when he was diagnosed with the debilitating spine condition scoliosis, or curvature of the spine, a year ago and faced a future of pain.
The swine flu pandemic is now officially over Geneva – In press conference today, WHO director general Dr Margaret Chan has announced an end to the H1N1 pandemic that had been declared on June 11, 2009. He added that we’re now in the post-pandemic phase and that the virus has largely run its course. The World Health Organization (WHO), based in Geneva, has officially declared an end to the pandemic concerning the H1N1 virus, popularly known as swine flu. The particular strain of virus that emerged April last year, was regarded as very dangerous and soon (June 2009) led the WHO to declare a worldwide pandemic, with fearful governments across the globe spending millions on prevention by way of vaccines.