James Toseland loving life again after fighting through the pain

The former Kiveton Park/Dinnington resident lost his ability to race motorbikes in September 2011, after crashing in Spain.

Ten wrist operations later, he still suffers occasional pain – some of it excruciating – and has struggled with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as a result.

However, he feels life overall is better now than it has been for a long time.

James, who divorced singer-songwriter Katie Melua around 2020, has a girlfriend and an enjoyable career in the sports media.

He also enjoys playing the piano and touring the country.

The 44-year-old, last seen in public at the Easter Egg charity event for Sheffield Children's Hospital that he has been a part of for two decades, spoke to the Advertiser about his renewed sense of optimism despite the odd injury flare-up.

The two-times World Superbikes champion said: "It doesn't give me much pain when it's static, but in the past there were times it was so painful it was really debilitating and needed a certain level of medication.

"Your life can go on pause for a long time without you realising it.

"There's a special synthetic cartilage between the bones and that material is developing all the time, it could wear and need replacing at some point. We'll see.

"It has been a real journey and when it is at its worst there have been some really dark times.

"You go from being a world champion in front of thousands of people to being unable to brush your teeth.

"I struggled for a long time, it is my dominant hand."

However, he stressed: "I am as happy now as I have been in any time in over let's say a decade.

"It took me that long to get used to the fact I'd lost my identity as a racer at 29 years old.

"It was too early to retire. Things change when you get older, though, and when you get to the wrong side of 40, your mind and body don't necessarily want to be flying around at 200 mph every weekend!"

The track star admits to the occasional return to dark times, depending on what level of pain he suffers.

"I have to be careful with it. If I hurt it now, I hit the roof and have that pain for hours… it really triggers me. When it is rested, I can crack on with life.

"But there is obviously PTSD with it. I don't want to drift into that darker place as I try and cope with severe pain."

A few days ago, he fell off a scooter in Italy and had to ensure he didn't re-injure himself.

"If I'd have fallen on that I did I would have yelped like a cat – so I went down like a pack of spuds just because I was protecting my wrist.

"But I am happy. I have a girlfriend; she is Italian. She has fortunately kept away from all my trials and tribulations.

"I am basically taking good vibes off her, really."

James may live the life of a globetrotting TV pundit/musician, but he has firm roots in the Rotherham borough.

His earliest memories were of living in a caravan park near Maltby, the family eventually moving to Kiveton Park when he was four.

When he left home aged around 19, he moved to the Stag Roundabout (Herringthorpe Valley Road), and then on Swithens Hill in Dinnington.

Today, he lives just a few miles away from Dinnington.

Back in his school days, the former Meadows primary pupil became one of several well-known creative people to have studied at Wales High (others include actors Ryan Sampson and Edward Hogg, singer Self Esteem, cyclist Dean Downing.)

He reckons the teachers' encouragement and adaptability was central to his eventual career development.

"I had a great headmaster Lawrence Morton and deputy head John Day; they were really fantastic to kids who weren't overly academic, like I wasn't.

"I found something I was good at and they encouraged it and helped it along."

The senior staff didn't dismiss youngsters who performed well in subjects away from the curriculum, he said.

"In fact they gave me days off to practice my motorcycling," he said.

"They were very supportive. They knew it was a possible career. Some schools just focused on rugby, football and tennis but they gave me time to progress with motocycling."

That hobby had emerged when his mother met a new boyfriend, Ken Wright, who introduced him to biking.

"The pit had not long closed at Kiveton Park and all the lands and fields were just there for me to learn how to ride a motorcycle.

"With the unfortunate circumstances of that guy (Mr Wright) committing suicide, I was in my later years at school, Lawrence Morton knew about it, and he took me under his wing.

"He would invite me at least once a week into his office for a cup of tea and a biscuit and a chat to see if I was coping with it.

"He could see I was taking my frustrations out on motorcycling, and he was very good at showing interest and wanted me to give it the best shot I could, given the circumstances.”

James returned to hand out A Level and GCSE certificates at Wales for 15 years.