The man who refuses to die: 'I have beaten cancer twice and been hit by a lorry, now I'm a record-breaking cyclist'

 James almost died on the operating table as surgeons were removing a grapefruit sized tumour in his back

James Golding just keeps defying the odds, surviving cancer twice He and his wife Louise are expecting their second child despite doctors having said neither could have children

Cheating death has become just a way of life for James Golding.

The businessman nearly died on the operating table after doctors found a grapefruit-sized tumour in his back.

After recovering, he became a record-breaking endurance cyclist – and survived being hit by a 70mph lorry in the US.

Months later his cancer had returned but he survived that too and got back on his bike.

And in June he beat the world record for the most miles cycled in a week, a staggering 1,766.

To cap it all, he and wife Louise are expecting their second child despite doctors having said that neither could have children.

James, 36, said: “When I was lying almost ­paralysed after my first operation, cancer was the worst thing to ever happen to me, but now I realise it was actually the best. It’s a horrible, horrible disease but it changed my life completely and taught me so much.”

James was in his 20s when doctors found the tumour between his spine and kidneys

“I wouldn’t have worked with the people I work with or taken on any of the challenges I have ­without experiencing it. It led me to cycling, which I could see as the reason I was in the lorry crash. But it was also the reason why I met my wife and am going to become a father again.”

James was a successful land agent with three properties, living for fast cars and parties, when ­doctors found the massive tumour between his spine and kidneys.

He dropped from 90Kg to 38Kg and lost the ability to walk. Doctors decided to operate but gave him a five per cent chance of survival. He went into cardiac ­arrest during surgery and spent two weeks in a coma.

James slowly taught himself to walk again and five months later was told the tumour had started to shrink.

He said: “There were times when I didn’t want to survive. I was 28 years old, stuck in hospital in pain, hardly able to move myself up the bed or my head off the pillow.

 James has raised millions for charity through his cycling feats (Image: Dymond Photography)

I was determined to fight. I remember clearly the first time I moved my legs, then I stood for ten seconds before I passed out with the pain. I just slowly built it up until I could walk again.”

He decided to change his life and give something back to cancer research and the people who had saved him by cycling long distances for charity – despite only ever cycling five miles around the local reservoir previously.

Doctors had told James there “was more chance of the moon hitting the earth” than of him having children because of his chemotherapy.

And his wife Louise, 32, had also been told she could never have children after stomach and bowel ­problems aged 13.

But the pair celebrated the arrival of their first child Freddie in September 2011. In the run-up to the birth, James had another operation to remove a second tumour.

Earlier this year Louise became pregnant with their second child, due in January.

Louise, a ­boutique owner, said: “We’ve been through a lot between us and I feel incredibly lucky. It was a real shock when we found out I was expecting.”

 James met his wife Louise in a bar after beating cancer and surviving being hit by a lorry

James said: “I never thought I would get cancer twice or be hit by a lorry but we have had the worst of luck and then the best of luck too.

Part of the reason I’m also ­doing this is that I don’t want my five-year old son Freddie to ever think he can’t achieve anything he wants. We’re all amazing human beings and we can achieve what we want. I want Freddie to look at me and know that if he’s got a dream he can reach it.”