Crippled marathon runner Chris Cariss is on the road to recovery after spending £31,000 on operations to get him back on his feet.

The 30-year-old from Eldwick had already overcome a rare lung condition to become one of Britain's best marathon runners.

But last year a broken foot led to agonising health problems.

Now, after a series of operations, he is all the more "hungry for gold" in the Commonwealth Games and Olympics. But first he needs to learn to walk again.

Chris suspected something serious when, in 2004, he missed out on his dream to represent Great Britain in Athens by just eight seconds in the London Marathon.

He said: "My foot was really painful; that's why I didn't get the qualifying time."

He had fractured his heel, which loosened a bit of bone that turned into a painful growth. Chris had the bone removed and thought he was recovering until more pain developed in the same foot.

In May he had a three-and-a-half-hour operation, wide awake, with the help of an epidural, to get a fluid-filled blister and damaged nerve taken away. "I was left with a big hole so I had to have my foot more or less reconstructed," he said.

He has paid for treatment privately and, so far, bills have mounted to £31,000 although he has managed to claim about half on insurance.

Twelve weeks on crutches after the last operation weakened his leg muscles and, even now, putting his foot on the floor is painful.

But he is determined to get back to peak fitness and goes to Bingley pool every day for "aqua jogging". He straps a float belt to his waist so he can run up and down the pool, building strength and stamina. Chris was one of the first recipients of Bradford Council's bActive awards, marking his battle to keep fit.

He also suffers from bronchiectasis, so he has to be on antibiotics for the rest of his life and have his lungs cleared twice a day.

Chris, who used to run 120 miles a week, said: "It's horrific not being able to run. I feel like a pianist who wakes up to find his hands gone, but I've not given up hope.

"All the pain and frustration is making me all the more hungry for gold, to be able to represent my country. But first I have to concentrate on what normal people do - just walk.

"I've got a qualifying time for the Commonwealth Games in March though that doesn't automatically mean I'll run. But there's every chance and that I could get into the Olympics in 2008. It would be sweet to make it to London because that would be my last Olympic chance."