A farmer's son, having performed his military service as a paratrooper, he became a professional soldier.

It was on his way to the army barracks on his motorcycle that he was hit by a car and that his left leg had to be amputated.

On the track, he competed in the LC2 1 km time trial finishing 7th and the Individual pursuit where he finished 3rd and won the only medal of his Paralympic career and the only Paralympic medal for Belgium in Beijing.

Beijing turned out to be his last cycling competition, with hindsight an all too rash decision he regrets to this day.

[1] As Boyen had for years owned and traded horses, he now turned his attention to show jumping and quickly amassed a quite remarkable record as one-legged equestrian.