A student left paralysed after he was shot in the head at point-blank range 18 years ago has won his first competitive cycling medal.

Danny Walmsley, who is studying sports science at Keighley Campus Leeds City College, was 14 when he was shot with an air-rifle by his friend in a prank that went wrong.

The 32-year-old, who spent weeks fighting for his life in hospital and was left partially paralysed on his right side, was told he would never play sport again.

But now he has defied all expectations after winning a three-man cycling event in Lancashire earlier this month.

He said: “I have been working hard at cycling but I never thought we would win something. I am absolutely buzzing.

“Since my accident, I have never felt able to take part in sporting activities, although before it happened I loved sport.

“It is an amazing feeling, something I did not believe I would ever experience.

“The main thing was to take part so even if I had just finished the course I’d have been over the moon.

“I never recovered completely from what happened, but I have tried to make the best of my life. My rehabilitation goes on.”

Danny, of Windsor Crescent, Oakworth, Keighley, had to give up ambitions of becoming a professional rugby league player after his accident.

The incident happened in a park near Bolton, where he lived at the time.

Most of the .22 calibre pellet that was lodged in his brain is still there and he has undergone extensive rehabilitation, which continues to this day.

He said: “I wasn’t able to study, I couldn’t walk, and I needed speech therapy. I still have good days and bad days and I take painkillers.

“I’ve asked the doctors to do another scan because the pellet is moving downwards and it’s not far from my spinal chord.

“If it travels down further that could cause a lot of complications.”

He took up cycling four years ago and was part of the three-man Lancashire Road Club squad which won the team event in The Rake Hill Climb, in Ramsbottom, earlier this month. He finished the gruelling climb up the course in three minutes 16.9 seconds.

He is now planning a cycle ride from Lands End to John O’Groats to raise money for the Sands UK charity, which supports families affected by baby deaths during pregnancy.