A DUNFERMLINE man is gearing up to take on the world – 10 years on from having a life-saving stem cell transplant.

William Black, of Milesmark, will get on his bike to represent Great Britain at this month's World Transplant Games for the first time – and will pedal into it after winning two British medals at the weekend.

Last month, the Press reported that the 32-year-old was set to ride for Anthony Nolan at the Westfield Health British Transplant Games in Newport, South Wales, a decade on from being diagnosed with a rare disorder that was believed to be the first of its kind in Scotland.

In March 2009, William was found to have Hemophagocytic Lymphohistiocytosis (HLH); a potentially fatal condition that is most commonly found in infants in which the body reacts inappropriately to a 'trigger', usually an infection, leading to specialised white blood cells becoming over-activated, causing severe inflammation and damage to tissues such as the liver, spleen and bone marrow.

After chemotherapy failed to work, he was told he needed a stem cell transplant and, after two perfect matches were identified by Anthony Nolan, his transplant took place, successfully, six months later.

Since then, he has been raising money and awareness for the charity through cycling and, in what was his fifth British Transplant Games, he came home with bronze medals in both the time trial and road race events.

William is now preparing for the world event, which will take place in Gateshead between August 17-24, and said: "I felt good at the end of the the time trial and knew that I had pushed myself.

"The road race went very well. I started off a couple of rows back from the front and then was part of a group that broke away at the front. I led the group of breakaway cyclists a few times and I was really happy to be able to do that.

"I tried to make my positioning to go for a sprint finish but it didn't quite work out that way!

"Anyone could have won it so I was really pleased to win bronze."

The distances for the time trial and road race at the World Games are two and three times further respectively, and William added: "For the Worlds, myself and others will try to work together in the road race and try and get a medal for the country.

"Everybody wants a medal but team tactics come into place to get one of us on the podium. That's the plan!

"The British is a bit different; you are in it for yourself and nobody else was riding for Anthony Nolan. I'm looking forward to the World Games, working with the GB team and the guys in the road race, but it's about proving that you can go on to compete and achieve."

To find out more about Anthony Nolan, or to join the stem cell register, visit www.anthonynolan.org.