MARTIN ROACH
The Journey So Far
1972
Born in Reading
1973
In early 1973, my parents are told I have cerebral palsy. Expectation of never being able to walk or
have an independent life as an adult.
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1975 - 1977
I become a pupil at Westmead School in Wokingham, for kids with all types of cerebral palsy. This is a formative and uplifting time in life. With the help of school physio Peggy Heaseman I am able to walk by the age of 6 without the aid of a metal calliper.
1980s and 1990s
A period of sustained bullying at school and finding my identity.- Graduated from University of Ulster with 2:1 in Modern History.
1996 to 2002
A period of sexual awakening and discovery. I am diagnosed with HIV in 2002 - very late stage diagnosis. My CD4 falls to 200, the Viral Load is in the 000'000's. My weight falls to 5 stone. It is feared that I will be dead within one week of being diagnosed.
2003 - 2006
A period of recovery and adjusting to use of HIV medication. My professional career is back on track quickly. I find the love of my life who gives me the validation and acceptance of who I am as a person. After 10 years together, he dies in 2013 a result of complications from kidney failure in London.
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2023 - 2025
I am 23 years into a life successfully living with cerebral palsy and HIV. I have started to volunteer for HIV charities as a Public Speaker and I have find my voice and ability to articulate my personal journey. I have learnt to swim. I have started to learn karate. I have started my preparation for the Reading Half Marathon in 2025.
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Vision
"My vision and mission now as my own Keynote Speaker is simple.
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Through my talks and associated activities, to challenge perceptions of those living with one or more health conditions, to give an insight into those in that position, emotions they have and the steps they take to live a normal and productive life.
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By the end of my life, to eradicate all stigma towards those living with cerebral palsy and HIV."
