World Haemophilia Day: Alex's Story. 

I know a few mates with haemophilla I suffer from various other conditions. you are a massive inspiration to me and my mates. best pro in the peloton

Alex, you're a great inspiration for all of us, little and "not so little" bleeders all over the world. I was born at 1970 in UK, in Canterbury (my parents worked there), but I moved to Spain when I was 6 months old and I was diagnosed haemophlia A before being 1 year old. I lived all of "bad times stuff" at the 80´s but I was very lucky (the only elite controller here in Spain, I guess), even with a lot of problems in my ankles, elbows and, of course, knees. Riding a bike was totally forbidden at that time, among many other "forbidden" things, and with the years my life was more and more limited. A few years ago, a pair of knee prothesis changed my life at all (I was the first haemophiliac who had a surgery in my hospital), doing my own "world championships" everyday (not biking, but swimming lots of pool lengths and walking thousands of steps from day to night), and I usually talk to haemophiliac kids (and their parents) in our association. They live now a much better life than I had when I was a kid, and it's good for me too sharing my "old haemophiliac" stories with them. I always talk to them about your story, even though parents' faces are full of fear when they think of their kids riding a bike, haha. So, man, I send a big hug to you from NW Spain. Keep on!!

I subscribe to your Thighs Club RU-vid channel and comment often and also am an avid cyclist at the young age of 65. Three years ago I became familiar with Haemophilia from the clinic where I receive treatment for a different genetic disorder. My doctor is well-known in the United States and is on staff at the Indiana Hemophilia & Thrombosis Center. I met my doctor at an appointment to confirm that I have Hereditary Hemochromatosis which is a genetic disorder whereby your body doesn't know when to stop absorbing iron. The disorder is minor in severity compared with Haemophilia but can be life threatening without the diagnosis. There is no cure, just maintenance. I truly admire what you are doing to bring attention to Haemophilia and believe that you are using your status to make a difference in the world. I view a number of RU-vid channels on a regular basis for entertainment or education. Thighs Club is my favorite and I so much enjoy all that you and Chanel share. All the best to you. Well done!

Well put over. As a 62 year old man I have seen the advances in the treatment of haemophiliacs and also dealt with the stigma associated with the condition. My condition is hereditary and have experienced family members dying in the past. It has never stopped my doing activities like canoeing, rock climbing. Scouting that was brilliant, and volleyball. I know where you are coming from and been there and have felt your pain. I have been so lucky in my life. I admire your attitude. Thank goodness I am a mild case

It is hard to judge a person via video, but i think you are one of the exceptionally nice people in this world.

Thank you for sharing your story Alex. Really enjoying all your videos. Keep up the great work you are doing in all avenues of your life.

Alex, your a phenomenal role model and your courage shows that anything is possible no matter what! What you do off the bike for other suffers is amazing and it shows that you take the responsibility of being a professional athlete more seriously than most and use it to help educate people. Keep doing what your doing! Living legend for sure!

What an inspirational video, thanks Alex.

Us Americans take one letter out of Hemophilia, and the Brits add one letter to aluminum. Seems a fair trade-off. Thanks for sharing Alex, you're a great advocate for those with this condition.

Thanks for this video raising awareness of this condition. My late Father had haemophilia and hepatitis from infected blood products. He died last year at the age of 88

My mate at school had this due his condition he finds it very difficult to walk now at 51 years old, glad you are able managing it.ado what you love 🙂

I’ve been following your progress since the Maldon and Glendene days. My son Steve used to race against you a lot as a youth and junior. He finished 3rd when you won the GHS for the second time and was in the break with you on the final stage of the Junior Tour of Wales that finished up the Tumble. You won the stage and he was second. An inspirational story. Thanks.

As a father of a severe Haemophilia A son and a massive fan of yours and cycling generally, thanks so much for the video ... I'm trying to get my son into cycling ....perhaps if I get him to watch this he might be inspired !!! Thanks ...love your channel and the insight into pro cycling.

Cycling is lucky to have Alex Dowsett. Thank you Alex for sharing your story.

Wow, yep, still here at the end. Powerful message, thanks! This will do good for raising awareness and so inspiring to see how you incorporate that in real life while doing what you love

These vlogs are not what I came to this channel for, but these vlogs are the reason that I keep coming back. Thank you for being real and honest.

Thank you for your video on Haemophilia. Congratulations to your Mom for persevering to find that you it. Inspiring to find how it helped your parents and you find your path to cycling and the success you've had at the world level. Thank you for showing us the swimmer and surfer with haemophilia that are able to inspire us with success in sport.

A great insight thanks Alex.

Thanks for sharing Alex. Chanel mentioned a bit of panic when you were trapped the other week, you only had meds for a few days, I can understand more why now. Lots and lots of questions answered. As always it's really nice to watch your channel, an intersection of elite, bonkers, numbers you can't imagine athlete, and regular bloke. Plus his adorable missus.

I have severe haemophilia and I always wanted to ride a bike. However my parents never allowed me to. You are such a big inspiration for me!

Really inspiring Alex! Using an unfortunate situation and making the best of it! Such good work with Little Bleeders... keep up the good work!

It must be great for kids growing up, seeing you being involved in raising awareness and at the same time having a successful pro cycling career. It’s good adding this to the cycling content, anything about spreading knowledge about the condition can only be a good thing.

Love this. Remember at school there were some guys with haemophilia and I didn’t get it (they were banned from sport .) I do now. Thank you for doing this and opening yourself up. Respect x2 for getting where you are.

What an inspiration!

What a humbling video Alex always nice to see the other side of people good or bad and stay to the end and really enjoyed look after yourself 👍

That was very informative. Enjoy all your videos but that one was very special. Best of luck with everything.

Inspirational Alex🙏

This is a wonderful video. What you have done in your sport and with your charity is simply wonderful 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻.

Top vlog Alex. I remember having a conversation with Phil at a cafe stop c.1996 before Livestrong when your future on a bike was uncertain, and he mentioned that maybe triathlon was an option given all your swimming as a youngster. ( I use to do triathlon) Clearly destiny had other ideas!!

Thanks for giving insight into your condition I used to be a mental health nurse and although I covered the blood clotting cascade I could not describe it so succinctly as you.Your quite an inspiration to.🚲🚲 :-D and 🇨🇦

Thanks for sharing your story. I have a family history of hemophilia A as well, and that history is why I became a genetic counselor. Thanks for being an inspiration to many with chronic inherited disease.

had no idea man... Jesus Christ.. well, good on you for raising awareness and having the stones to not let the condition keep you from chasing a pro career and maintaining a pro career. It is very, very rare.. "disease of the royals" they used to call it. My empathy goes out to you, it must be difficult sometimes with that in the back of your head..

Finally found time to watch this. I must say I have a huge amount of respect and admiration for you efforts Mr Dowsett. You are inspirational and I glad I found this channel...its funny, transparent and real...great people you both.

Interesting to hear you speak about your haemophilia as it’s nothing. My friend who you might have heard of Roddy Riddle(ex Scottish 1hour record holder) is a diabetic and this is how he talks about diabetes. I have had a quintuple heart bypass and continue to push my body too. I wish you so much success in and out of cycling. Take care.

i’m not sure i would ride if i were you, stay safe and in your saddle Alex!

Learned a lot about haemophilia today. Great vlog, thanks for sharing your story

Very insightful Alex, thanks!

Thank you 🙏 Alex, this is wonderful. Very insightful and personal perspective. You’re a great role model and ambassador for the hemophiliac community.

Really enjoy following your racing and adventures -- but this was just super informative and thanks for sharing your story. I knew generally what Haemophilia is but not the extent of the real impact and treatment, etc. Very inspirational!

Alex, thank you for the insight especially when it’s so personal.👍

Glad I managed to get the LB Katusha cap and jersey when it was run last year! This video was a great way to help us understand without watching some medical video that we would never ordinarily come across.

Top man Mr Alex Dowsett a great ambassador

Such a top bloke

Brilliant Alex, chapeau!

What an amazing role mode, great film, and love the name LB's! 😎

A great, great video - every summer we do a silly cycle trip in Europe and one of the guys we go with has a version of haemophilia, so I’m going to send him this video now! PS - a very serious video but I could not stop looking at your tuft of hair... 😳

Good job Alex. When all is said and done this may become your defining achievement.

Very informative and really good/brave of you to speak so openly. Also 3:24 ! Does this mean there's kids on the way? :P (I'm so sorry, I'll see myself out..)

Thanks for sharing your story & being an inspiration to the youngsters with haemophilia.

Super interesting! Thanks for sharing! :)

Thanks for doing this, it was very interesting and eye opening, lots of questions started coming to mind but you explained everything which you must of done a trillion times when you move teams, littlebleeders seems a very worthwhile charity

Thanks for making that video! Super interesting and makes me respect you even more! You succeed even when the odds are against you! Keep on uploading videos man, they're great and you two are a great team!

Really interesting, I knew very little about haemophilia and I'm glad to have learned some more about it. Sounds like, as with lots of illnesses and diseases, progress is being made but to those with the condition it will never feel fast enough. Hope awareness can be raised and treatment can be improved. Great video.

Amazing story, thanks for sharing and keep it up

Loved hearing your story about living with Haemophilia but was distracted a little by the music played over the top. Sorry to be nitpicking but thought you should know. All the best and look forward to more from the Thighs Club

Great video and so educational.

Very insightful vid about your condition, I'll be sure to share it. More seriously though, how has Chanel not attacked your "theVID" hair? Or is that just the way you Essex boys are styling now? haha...

What a great video Alex, thanks for brining this to my attention I had no idea. Keep riding the good ride! Peace 🤙

Learned a lot Alex. Keep up the great work!

HI Alex I am 53 and I am the same as you I don't go the ward at RLH any more as I live in France. I was the photo manager at your gold ride in the Comms in Glasgow and I will be in Tokyo 2021 for the cycling too, see you there. I worked as a photographer in the Iraq war 2003 Colvin and Passi went mad. Keep up the great work I see you on Strava

That was a fascinating insight into to a subject I had no idea about. Great upload and stay safe.

Thank you for sharing your story and the work you do. Inspiring - what the world needs.

Great vid. That gene editing technology has come a long way in the last 10yrs. Looks potentially really promising for conditions such as this. Although its much less common Its similar to colour blindness in how it gets passed on at least. My partner is a carrier for CB. One of my sons has it, but the other doesn't. My daughter has a 50% chance of being a carrier.

Great insight Alex! I had no idea that you had this condition. Courageous and very informative. Stay lucky

Thank you for sharing your story Alex. Very inspiring!

Great story (I mean "great") and great insight. Thanks for sharing. Keep safe and keep healthy :)

Very positive video, inspiring to see what is possible with the condition. I will for sure never be that good (even if i don't have haemophilia but i just got 40 recently so prime years are over), but endurance sports was the only stuff i was good at in my youth so I can relate to your positive expiriences with road cycling. Your story also motivates me to keep training. After a longer break from cycling due to kids and my job i bought a Wahoo kickr core end of october 2019. My first FTP was 140W, now just 6 months of Zwift later i have reached 245 W and got pushed to B cat in zwiftpower, it feels just good to get fitter and faster. I wish you all the best for your sports career and hopefully no serious crashes in the future, stay safe.

impressive! thank you! have a good ride! best regards from Romania ;-)

Really informative, Alex. Thanks for sharing!!

Very informative lets hope the genetic treatment happens soon.

Inspirational

Very inspiring video. I am a carrier and my father was a haemophiliac. Was because he was someone who got infected with Hepatitus C and has had a liver transplant in the meantime. After a liver transplant, you no longer have haemophilia. I also cycle myself and have been following you and Chanel for a long time now. Keep up the good work you do for Little Bleeders! Is the jersey still available and is it possible to ship it to the Netherlands?

Very interesting and informative!

That was a great video

I have anti clothing medication due to my heart condition, I wonder if its more or less the same problems. I once cut myself and the cut wouldn't stop bleeding, it was like water coming out. I have that plastic bandaid spray and I spray half a bottle on a cut to stop the bleeding.

No, thank you for sharing

Gosh I had no idea you suffered from this condition. Guess it’s a good job your career involves staying indoors and making harmless videos than say, I don’t know, a sport which involves perilous descents dressed in practically nothing. Be well.

Hugely interesting

hero

How often do you have blood tests? and how do you measure your factor 8 levels?

Who are the two that didn't like this? Why?

How are you my name is Waqas I am 10 year old I live in Oman I am Pakistani I I I live with my parents my my parents cannot afford the medicine of haemophilia can you help me

Factor 8??..I thought you were on the Factor One..

Cool coincidence being on Factor bikes now.