A PE teacher who feared his rowing career was over is back on the water after undergoing a total knee replacement.

Martin Smiddy developed issues with his knee in 2015, with doctors finding that the cartilage in the joint had completed disintegrated.

The 64-year-old feared his rowing days could have been finished, with the injury impacting on his work as a PE teacher.

But now he is back on the water after undergoing a total knee replacement at Spire Cheshire Hospital in Stretton.

Martin, who was awarded an MBE in 2009 for services to sport, said: “My right knee started to ache during rowing and this caused a pain that began to interfere with my job as a PE teacher, something I just wouldn’t allow to happen, so training was put on hold.

“The problem was that I could either lock my leg out but not bend it fully or I could bend it fully but not lock it out.

“I knew I couldn’t just stop being active, so I had to get some medical advice.

“Everything went really well and after some initial physio and tentative trips to the rowing machine I launched into full training after about seven months.”

Martin, who teaches at Helsby High School in Frodsham, is now set to compete at the English Indoor Rowing Championships in Manchester and is hoping to pick up a medal.

He previously picked up a bronze medal at the Welsh Indoor Rowing Championships, having picked up the sport after an injury ended his road running career.

Nikhil Pradhan, orthopaedic surgeon at the Fir Tree Close hospital, said: “Through years of wear and tear, Martin had literally worn out his cartilage.

“This meant the knee had also become damaged, and at his age I felt a total knee replacement was the best option.

“He is a very fit man and I thought a full replacement would allow him to stay active once he had recovered from the operation.”

Martin, who has been a teacher for 40 years, added: “If I do manage to win a medal I will be dedicating it to Mr Pradhan as a thank you for his excellent work.”