London Underground: Tube fanatic visits all 272 stations while he can walk
A tube fanatic has risen to the challenge of visiting every single London tube station to raise awareness about his health condition.
Ben Spencer, 49, has a condition called ataxia, a disorder that affects coordination, balance and speech.
He was diagnosed last summer and told he wouldn’t be able to go in in about a year.
Ben, who lives in Buckhurst Hill, Essex, wanted to make the most of it while he was still able and also to raise awareness.
So he decided to take on a fun challenge – visit all 272 subway stations as quickly as possible.
The former bouncer successfully completed his mission on February 10, ending up at Tottenham Court Road.
It took Ben, who uses two canes to help himself walk, five months to complete the epic journey. He photographed every single station.
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He told the BBC the challenge made him a “total tube nut”.
What is ataxia?
According to the NHS, ataxia is a term for a group of disorders affecting coordination, balance and speech.
Any part of the body can be affected, but people with ataxia often struggle with:
- balance
- Go
- Speaking of
- Swallow
- Tasks that require a high level of control, such as writing and eating
- vision
The exact symptoms and their severity vary depending on the type of ataxia a person has.
Ben said: “I used to love taking the tube – it’s an iconic part of London.
“I absolutely adore it, it’s absolutely fascinating to learn about the history and architecture in the process. I also made so many friends in the process and found a real community.”
Ben lived with speech and mobility issues for more than 10 years before finally being diagnosed.
He added: “The first symptoms started many years ago when I started having trouble walking. But I struggled to get a diagnosis; it was mistaken for everything from a tremor to arthritis.
“While I was happy to finally get a diagnosis, the type I have is quite an insidious type – progressive cerebellar ataxia – and I’ve been told this could potentially be my last year.”
Ben admitted he’d never heard of ataxia before, and the diagnosis made him feel “really alone.”
His challenge was supported by charities Ataxia UK and Ataxia and Me. Its main goal was to raise awareness of the rare and often misdiagnosed disease, which affects one in 50,000 people.
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https://metro.co.uk/2023/02/16/london-underground-tube-fan-visits-all-272-stations-while-he-can-walk-18295079/ London Underground: Tube fanatic visits all 272 stations while he can walk