Spokesman 13

Lone Rose has long experience of workingwith wheelchairs and wheelchair users, having workedas a physiotherapist in spinal cord injury since 1977and developing the seating service at the NSIC at StokeMandeville in the 1980's. Lone ran the Seating Clinic atStoke Mandeville until 2004. We asked her for heradvice for someone considering a new wheelchair:‘Inexperienced or first time users should listen to advicefrom therapists, other users in a similar situation and,indeed, commercial specialists. Go with the advice youfeel makes most sense for you. At all costs, avoid beingpressurised into something you do not feel is right foryou. And always try out the potential wheelchair in yourhome environment before committing to it - whetherbuying or having it supplied by the wheelchair service’.

Further Master Classes are planned forSouthport SCIC on 9th November 2012 and SheffieldSCIC on 5th February 2013. Contact Karen Mikalsen [email protected] for more details.

The World’s Best Mobility and Seating SolutionsNews from Gerald Simonds

Suppliers of the World’s Best Mobility and Seating Solutions

Gerald Simonds Healthcare Ltd.9 March Place, Gatehouse WayAylesbury, Bucks HP19 8UA

Tel: 01296 380200email: [email protected]

www.gerald-simonds.co.uk

We are pleased to be sponsors of a new series ofWheelchair Master Classes run by the Spinal InjuriesAssociation (SIA). The first Choosing Your WheelchairMaster Class was held at Stoke Mandeville in May and

presented by Lone Rose, clinicalspecialist and physiotherapist. Thesession described in detail theergonomic features of a manualwheelchair and the implication ofeach one on function and gaveguidance on optimal wheelchair set-up and discussed minimising the riskof upper limb pain, both based oncurrent evidence.

There was also an opportunity for wheel-chair skills training with the SCI charity BackUp providing details of their wheelchair skills courses.Barbara Byrom and Nesad Causevic from GeraldSimonds were also on hand to answer questions.

Martin McElhatton, Chief Executive of WheelPower, is‘very honoured’ to be one of 580 inspirational torch-bearers chosen to carry the Paralympic Flame. TheParalympic Torch Relay will take place from 24–29August after four flames from London, Belfast, Cardiffand Edinburgh are united at Stoke Mandeville to formthe Paralympic Flame. The torch will then be taken ona 24-hour overnight relay to the Paralympic OpeningCeremony at the Olympic Stadium on 29 August, intime for the start of the Paralympic Games.

Martin played for Great Britain in the 1984Paralympic Games in Wheelchair Basketball and also inthe 1986 World Championships and 1987 EuropeanChampionships. As well as his work with WheelPower -British Wheelchair Sport at Stoke Mandeville, withwhich we are proud to be associated, Martin isChairman of the National Wheelchair Tennis Associationof Great Britain and President of the InternationalWheelchair Tennis Association and member of the ITFWheelchair Tennis Committee having played andcoached wheelchair tennis for over 25 years.

ALBER / ETAC / HANDICARE / JAY / KUSCHALL / LEVO / KYMCO / PROACTIV / QUICKIE / TILITE / VICAIR.. ..

Join us on Facebook and Twitter.Follow us by going to the links on our website

TheSPOKESMAN

LIGHTWEIGHT WHEELCHAIRS

POWERCHAIRS

STAND UP WHEELCHAIRS

COMFORT WHEELCHAIRS

POWERDRIVES

WHEELCHAIR SEATING

PRESSURE AREA CARE

SCOOTERS

Keeping theflame alive

SIA WHEELCHAIR MASTER CLASS

PARALYMPIC TORCH RELAY

Martin McElhatton will keep the Paralympic flame alive.

ALBER / ETAC / HANDICARE / JAY / KUSCHALL / LEVO / KYMCO / PROACTIV / QUICKIE / TILITE / VICAIR

The World’s Best Mobility and Seating Solutions

ReChargeReCharge is a plug in handle that makes chargingbatteries much easier. It can be used with any powerwheelchair or mobility scoooter to replace the small,hard to access 3 pin XLR sockets common to mostpower wheelchairs. It has a large, easy to grasp handleand mast that can be inserted in a socket of the CentreDrive System.With the ReCharge, simply plug in theoversized handle and your battery will start to charge.It’s as simple as that.

The Centre Drive systems offers a range ofmounting positions: at the front for midline drive or toreposition your existing joystick to the centre; at theside for when you want to manoeuvre short distancessuch as when you’re getting in or out of tables or desks,or at the rear for easy-to-operate attendent controls.All sockets can be used for the ReCharge to simplifybattery charging.

The Centre Drive System really is an advancefor users of power wheelchairs. Simply plug’n’go andyou’re right at the centre of the action.

Call us FREE on 0800 220975 or email [email protected] for more detais.

We are excited to announce the new Active ControlsCentre Drive System, advanced ‘plug’n’go’ technologyfor driving and charging almost any power wheelchair.

The JoyBar, ReJoy and ReCharge giveeffortless drop-in conection, robust midline drive andinterface with all makes of power wheelchair.

JoyBarJoyBar is a new drive control that allows you to steeryour power wheelchair like a scooter. This combinationof intuitive scooter-style controls with power chairmanoeuvrability creates a much more natural riderexperience. In the attendent position the JoyBar providesincreased stability and greater control with no need forany electronic upgrades. The Joybar simply plugs in andaway you go. Then it can be removed easily for access.

ReJoyReJoy provides a platform to reposition the joystick ofany power wheelchair to midline. Centre mounted drivecontrols offer better body positioning and alignment ofthe drive control directly in the user’s line of sight. Justwhere you want it! The Centre Drive System gives stablepositoning of a joystick with secure, spring loadeddrop-in connections. Plug it in and you’re away.Pressure relieving gel pads are adjustable by height,width and pitch to support the user’s hands.

..ALBER / ETAC / HANDICARE / JAY / KUSCHALL / LEVO / KYMCO / PROACTIV / QUICKIE / TILITE / VICAIR

..

The new Active Controls CentreDrive System, consisting of theJoyBar Drive Control, ReJoycentre mounted drive controls

and ReCharge plug incharger, puts you at the

centre of the action on anypower wheelchair!

Centre of Attention

Active Controls Centre Drive System

rocky paths and hills. A lot of the path follows an oldmilitary road which is very rough, mostly loose rocksand some really big boulders, and there are manystreams, walls, stiles and cattle grids to be navigated,but the FreeWheel stood up to it all.

‘It really was unbelievable,’ enthused Jim, ‘Ican’t rate it highly enough.When we attempted thesame route in 2008 I had to be pushed for 95% of iton my back wheels, which wasn't much fun. Howeverthis time, with the FreeWheel, I managed to push thewhole way myself. It really battered over rocks andmade the ride so comfortable. I also noticed just howmuch easier it was to push and it took a lot lessenergy.’ The FreeWheel was fitted to Jim’s trusty TiLiteTRC. ‘That chair has been everywhere with me andstood up to every bit of abuse I've thrown at it. I alsoused my Spinergy LX wheels rear wheels with 2" off-road tyres.’

And what was the best part of the journey?‘Probably reaching the top of the Devil's Staircase,’ saidJim, ‘that was pretty special. It's about 1700 feet ofclimb. We reached it by early afternoon so we had timeto have our lunch at the summit. It was priceless to seesome of the looks on other walkers faces as theyreached the top and saw someone in a wheelchair hadmanaged to get up it!’

So far the friends have raised nearly £6000for the Erskine charity. But do they have any more chal-lenges in mind? ‘Rather stupidly on our last night inFort William, over a few celebratory beers, we decidedthat next year we are going to climb Ben Nevis!

Civil servant Jim, aged 30, suffers from OsteogenesisImperfecta, a condition which causes brittle bones, but ithas not stopped him and a group of friends – all RangersFC season ticket holders - taking on a range of challenges,mostly in aid of forces and ex-services charities. Jimexplained how the project started: ‘One afternoon, after amatch, we were approached by a representative of theErskine charity, who raise funds for military veterans, tosee if we would consider doing the West HighlandWay totry to raise some money for them. Of course we said yes.’

Jim has been using a wheelchair since he wassix years old. ‘I’ve broken bones a couple of hundredtimes,’ he said. ‘The last bad break I had was in 2006.I broke my back at T in the Park when someone jumpedon my tent while I was in my sleeping bag. I got airliftedto the spinal unit at the Southern General.’

The team, which included close friends TonyHoggan, Graeme Grant and Paul McIvor and Jim’s uncle,Gordon Easton, left Milngavie north of Glasgow at thebeginning of June and covered 20 miles on their firstday, including climbing the optional Conic Hill. Theycovered the remaining 76 miles over the following week,spending each night camping along the Way.

‘We had really good weather,’ recalled Jim.‘We had a few brief showers but thankfully they wereon really hot days and while we were on harder paths,so things never got too muddy. Of course, the flip-sideto the nice weather was that it encouraged the dreadedScottish midge!’

The ground on the Way varies betweendifferent surfaces such as fields, dirt tracks, forest trails,

Jim Easton from Falkirk in Scotlandrecently completed the daunting 96mile challenge of the West HighlandWay, which stretches from Milngavieto Fort William in Scotland, in a TiLiteTRC fitted with a FreeWheel all terrainadd-on loaned by Gerald Simonds.

FreeWheelingthe West

Highland Way




..

Gerald Simonds is now a specialist Motability dealerfor the brand new range of Kymco Healthcare ForUscooters. Specifically designed ForU, with many new andadvanced design features, high quality ForU scootersimprove your independence and mobility by giving youthe most comfortable driving experience available. Wecan provide the complete Kymco range, from the smallestMicro ForU to the largest Maxi XLS ForU, ensuringthat you will get the best scooter to suit your needs.

And by buying your new Kymco ForU scooterthrough Motability, you get all the support and helpyou need to enjoy worry-free mobility. Your leaseincludes standard nationwide pricing, insurance, loss

We are now pleased to offer the new TR Series 3,with a swept-in dual-tube frame that makes it evenmore rigid and provides optimal energy transfer,making it even easier to push. The TR3 has themost compact TR frame ever, making the Series 3easier to transport. Chair width is 1” less, improvingmanouevrability in tight spaces and the weight ofthe frame is 3lb lighter.

The difference between a TiFit chairand all other chairs is that a TiFit chair is tailoredspecifically to you. Every frame is made to measureso the optimal fit of a TiFit chair brings unparalleledperformance and function. Choice matters and thatis why TiLite offers more options than any othermanufacturer! The choice is yours. For a free, no-obligation demonstration contact us FREE on 0800220975 or email [email protected]

TILITE TR3. THE BEST JUST GOT BETTER

and damage protection and breakdown assistance fromMotability Assist – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Itreally is that simple. Choose a new Kymco ForU scooterfrom Gerald Simonds and, before you place your order, ourexperts will go through a product suitability assessmentwith you to make sure you get the model that bestmeets your needs.

Contact us on [email protected] or callFREE on 0800 220975 for more details.

New Kymco Scooters with

Some of the new Kymco Scooters(from l to r) Kymco Super 4,

Kymco Maxi, Kymco Mini

At the time of writing the Olympic Games arein full swing. Team GB is winning gold andthe whole nation is behind the Games. Themood is set to continue from 29 Augustwith the start of the Paralympics. For the firsttime the Games are sold out and full TVcoverage will ensure the biggest nationalaudience ever. Gerald Simonds is proudto have been involved with WheelPower,owners of Stoke Mandeville Stadium,spiritual home of the Paralympics, andwith the Aces wheelchair basketballteam and members of the GB squad. Keep visitingour dedicated website www.suchgoodsports.co.ukto follow progress during the games. Then sit backand enjoy the excitement as, hopefully, the medaltally grows in the world’s greatest celebration ofdisabled sport. Come on Team GB!

COME ON TEAM GB!The titanium TR series rigid chair is flag-ship of the TiLite range. Lighter, moreefficient and more elegant than anyother chair.

Olympic torchbearer Georgie Friend will be verybusy over the next few weeks as overall teamleader for the GB Wheelchair Rugby team at theLondon 2012 Paralympics. Georgie, who works asa Clinical Support Worker in Sports Rehab atStoke Mandeville, started by helping LondonWheelchair Rugby Club on evenings and weekendsand soon became involved with the GB rugbydevelopment team.

Volunteering for London 2012Paralympics, she became team leader for GBWheelchair Rugby. ‘The job means I have to lookafter everybody on the team’, explained Georgie.‘That includes making sure they all get to theright place at the right time, looking after theirfood and dietary requirements and taking care ofall their media activities.’

The Paralympic Wheelchair Rugbycompetition will see eight teams from Australia,Belgium, Canada, France, Japan, Sweden, UnitedStates, and Great Britain competing for medals.

The tournament begins on September 5th andwill open with Team GB taking on the numberone world ranked United States. The USA are aformidable team but Team GB will have homeadvantage and will be looking to cause an upset.

Georgie is alreadylooking beyond the LondonGames and is involvedin helping to develop theelite team to take part inRio de Janeiro in 2016.She is also about to goto Canada for a year, studyingfor a Post Graduate degree in Sports Scienceat Georgian College in Toronto.

Wheelchair Rugby first appeared in theAtlanta 1996 Paralympic Games, when it featuredas a demonstration sport. Its debut as a fullmedal event followed at Sydney 2000, when theUS beat Australia 32-31 to win the gold medal.The sport was invented in 1977 by a group of

Try! Try! Try!

In Wheelchair Rugby every playeris assigned a point value based on

their functional ability, from 0.5 for a

player with the least physical function

through to 3.5 for the most physical

function. During play, the total on-court

value for each team of four players

cannot exceed eight points.

Georgie Friend with the GB RugbyDevelopment Team

‘The job means I haveto look after everybody

on the team’

Canadian quadriplegic athletes,who were looking for an alternativeto Wheelchair Basketball thatwould allow players with reducedarm and hand function to participateon equal terms.


ALBER / ETAC / HANDICARE / JAY / KUSCHALL / LEVO / KYMCO / PROACTIV / QUICKIE / TILITE / VICAIR..


Ella Beaumont

Georgie Friend

Former fighter pilot Jerry Ward carried the torchbetween Keighley and Skipton in Yorkshire, using achin attachment to control his Levo Combi. He laterwrote to us about his experiences:

‘What a day! For a change, words fail me. Icannot begin to express what it felt like to becarrying the Olympic flame last Sunday. We hadalready decided that I would go in my powerchair so that I could try and self-propel myselfwith my son Sam on hand in case things wentwrong. Several attachments were tested onthe chair to provide support for the torchbefore something suitable was established.In no time it was my turn to get off theofficial coach and on to the High Streetin Keighley where I was welcomed bythousands of people - the reception wassimply overwhelming! As the mainconvoy approached the noise got evenlouder, and I was able to move to the

middle of the road so that the Olympic flame couldbe transferred to my torch, as Sam ‘kissed’ torches forme. As the torch was fitted into the attachment on mywheelchair, it dawned on me that I was now immenselyprivileged to be carrying the Olympic flame. It was aunique opportunity.’

‘In the two months I spent in Stoke MandevilleSpinal Injuries Unit in summer 2008 after breakingmy back, Georgie Friend was the person who gotme through the trauma of learning I would neverwalk again. I have never met anyone sopermanently positive and constantly willing togive up their time to help anyone, regardless oftheir ability, to reach their full potential. Georgieis truly one of a kind and deserves the honourof being recognised as a Torchbearer.’

Georgie works tirelessly to promote sport forrehab and disability sport. She also volunteersas a swimming coach for children with learningdifficulties, and as an assistant to both theStoke Mandeville and Great Britain wheelchairrugby teams (see page 6).

Running with the torch for 120 metresthrough Wolverhampton, with her parentsand colleagues in support, Georgie says shehad an amazing day, although she ‘felt likea rabbit in headlights!’

The day of the run passed so quicklythat the true extent of her involvementdidn’t hit home until she watched thelighting of the Olympic cauldron at theopening ceremony. ‘I felt very emotional’, said Georgie.‘I suddenly thought ‘I was part of that!’’

Torch Bearer David had the misfortune to be carryingthe torch when it went out! The torch was attached tothe side of Parabadminton star David’s TiLite ZRA wheel-chair as he pushed through Great Torrington in Devon.Apparently it was due to a ‘malfunctioning burner’ anda replacement torch was quickly lit from the motherflame, kept in specially designed miners' lanterns.

In 2008 David broke his neck in a car accident,leaving him paralysed from the chest down. After eightmonths in hospital he returned to college and he hasjust graduated with a fitness and coaching foundationdegree. He also helped to set up a wheelchair badmintonclub which is now the largest in the UK. David and hisplaying partner are unbeaten for three years in the FourNations Parabadminton competitions and, following hisresults in the German International he is now the world

number one in his class.

David is pictured withphysiotherapy team lead Emma Trimble from Northern DevonHealthcare NHS Trust

Our cover picture shows local girl Ella Beaumontcarrying the Olympic Torch through the streetsof Hemel Hempstead in her specially decoratedTiLite ZRA. Ella is very active in wheelchairsport, playing basketball for the Aces Juniorsat Stoke Mandeville and playing in worldchampionships as part of the GB women’swheelchair basketball team.

Ella also plays wheelchair tennis for GBand hopes to inspire others with disabilitiesand encourage them to play sport. ‘I hope

to be a role model to others who may have just beeninjured or recently ended up being a permanent wheel-chair user’, said Ella. ‘My latest goal is to represent mycountry at the 2016 Paralympic games in Rio playingwheelchair basketball.’

A car accident in 1995 left Keith Jansz paralysed fromthe chest down. Despite his disability Keith, fromOxfordshire, has become a very skilled artist, renownedworldwide, painting by way of a brush held between

his teeth.

Keith carried the torchin Stoke Mandeville, close to the National SpinalInjuries Centre. ‘That was especially poignant,’ he said.‘I had a fabulous day, seeing so many happy, joyousfaces cheering me on. It was such a privilege and honourto carry the flame and amazing to be the centre ofattention. I will definitely be watching the Games andam fortunate enough to have got some tickets.

Georgina Friend, known as Georgie,works as a Clinical Support Worker inSports Rehab at Stoke Mandeville.She was nominated as a torch bearerby one of her patients who wrote:

38 year old Ben Smoldon carried the flamethrough Birmingham. A quadriplegic whobroke his neck as a teenager during agame of rugby, Ben said he felt the Gameswould have a ‘positive’ impact on peopleof all ages, but it was important that theParalympics get just as much focus as theOlympics. ‘We were the pioneers of theParalympics,’ he said. ‘It’s coming home soI think that is a great reason to get reallybehind them.’

Ben is passionate about sport andhelping young people, working with localcharities, schools, colleges and universities,raising awareness and charitable funds forrugby and disability.

Ben recently called in to our showroomin Aylesbury and brought his Olympic torchwith him.We were all very excited andcouldn’t resist the opportunity to get somesouvenir photographs. Thanks and welldone Ben.

�

Jerry Ward�

�

David Follett�

Keith Jansz�

Ben Smoldon�

Ben with Gerald Simonds Marketing TeamLeader, Emily Tomson, holding the Torch

Gerald Simonds Sales Director Barbara Byromand MD Doug Robinson

Georgie and family with the Torch

Keeping the Flame Alive!A number of our clients were nominated and chosento carry the Olympic Torch during its recent 8000mile journey around the UK. We asked them totell us about their great day




Ella Beaumont

Georgie Friend

Former fighter pilot Jerry Ward carried the torchbetween Keighley and Skipton in Yorkshire, using achin attachment to control his Levo Combi. He laterwrote to us about his experiences:

‘What a day! For a change, words fail me. Icannot begin to express what it felt like to becarrying the Olympic flame last Sunday. We hadalready decided that I would go in my powerchair so that I could try and self-propel myselfwith my son Sam on hand in case things wentwrong. Several attachments were tested onthe chair to provide support for the torchbefore something suitable was established.In no time it was my turn to get off theofficial coach and on to the High Streetin Keighley where I was welcomed bythousands of people - the reception wassimply overwhelming! As the mainconvoy approached the noise got evenlouder, and I was able to move to the

middle of the road so that the Olympic flame couldbe transferred to my torch, as Sam ‘kissed’ torches forme. As the torch was fitted into the attachment on mywheelchair, it dawned on me that I was now immenselyprivileged to be carrying the Olympic flame. It was aunique opportunity.’

‘In the two months I spent in Stoke MandevilleSpinal Injuries Unit in summer 2008 after breakingmy back, Georgie Friend was the person who gotme through the trauma of learning I would neverwalk again. I have never met anyone sopermanently positive and constantly willing togive up their time to help anyone, regardless oftheir ability, to reach their full potential. Georgieis truly one of a kind and deserves the honourof being recognised as a Torchbearer.’

Georgie works tirelessly to promote sport forrehab and disability sport. She also volunteersas a swimming coach for children with learningdifficulties, and as an assistant to both theStoke Mandeville and Great Britain wheelchairrugby teams (see page 6).

Running with the torch for 120 metresthrough Wolverhampton, with her parentsand colleagues in support, Georgie says shehad an amazing day, although she ‘felt likea rabbit in headlights!’

The day of the run passed so quicklythat the true extent of her involvementdidn’t hit home until she watched thelighting of the Olympic cauldron at theopening ceremony. ‘I felt very emotional’, said Georgie.‘I suddenly thought ‘I was part of that!’’

Torch Bearer David had the misfortune to be carryingthe torch when it went out! The torch was attached tothe side of Parabadminton star David’s TiLite ZRA wheel-chair as he pushed through Great Torrington in Devon.Apparently it was due to a ‘malfunctioning burner’ anda replacement torch was quickly lit from the motherflame, kept in specially designed miners' lanterns.

In 2008 David broke his neck in a car accident,leaving him paralysed from the chest down. After eightmonths in hospital he returned to college and he hasjust graduated with a fitness and coaching foundationdegree. He also helped to set up a wheelchair badmintonclub which is now the largest in the UK. David and hisplaying partner are unbeaten for three years in the FourNations Parabadminton competitions and, following hisresults in the German International he is now the world

number one in his class.

David is pictured withphysiotherapy team lead Emma Trimble from Northern DevonHealthcare NHS Trust

Our cover picture shows local girl Ella Beaumontcarrying the Olympic Torch through the streetsof Hemel Hempstead in her specially decoratedTiLite ZRA. Ella is very active in wheelchairsport, playing basketball for the Aces Juniorsat Stoke Mandeville and playing in worldchampionships as part of the GB women’swheelchair basketball team.

Ella also plays wheelchair tennis for GBand hopes to inspire others with disabilitiesand encourage them to play sport. ‘I hope

to be a role model to others who may have just beeninjured or recently ended up being a permanent wheel-chair user’, said Ella. ‘My latest goal is to represent mycountry at the 2016 Paralympic games in Rio playingwheelchair basketball.’

A car accident in 1995 left Keith Jansz paralysed fromthe chest down. Despite his disability Keith, fromOxfordshire, has become a very skilled artist, renownedworldwide, painting by way of a brush held between

his teeth.

Keith carried the torchin Stoke Mandeville, close to the National SpinalInjuries Centre. ‘That was especially poignant,’ he said.‘I had a fabulous day, seeing so many happy, joyousfaces cheering me on. It was such a privilege and honourto carry the flame and amazing to be the centre ofattention. I will definitely be watching the Games andam fortunate enough to have got some tickets.

Georgina Friend, known as Georgie,works as a Clinical Support Worker inSports Rehab at Stoke Mandeville.She was nominated as a torch bearerby one of her patients who wrote:

38 year old Ben Smoldon carried the flamethrough Birmingham. A quadriplegic whobroke his neck as a teenager during agame of rugby, Ben said he felt the Gameswould have a ‘positive’ impact on peopleof all ages, but it was important that theParalympics get just as much focus as theOlympics. ‘We were the pioneers of theParalympics,’ he said. ‘It’s coming home soI think that is a great reason to get reallybehind them.’

Ben is passionate about sport andhelping young people, working with localcharities, schools, colleges and universities,raising awareness and charitable funds forrugby and disability.

Ben recently called in to our showroomin Aylesbury and brought his Olympic torchwith him.We were all very excited andcouldn’t resist the opportunity to get somesouvenir photographs. Thanks and welldone Ben.

�

Jerry Ward�

�

David Follett�

Keith Jansz�

Ben Smoldon�

Ben with Gerald Simonds Marketing TeamLeader, Emily Tomson, holding the Torch

Gerald Simonds Sales Director Barbara Byromand MD Doug Robinson

Georgie and family with the Torch

Keeping the Flame Alive!A number of our clients were nominated and chosento carry the Olympic Torch during its recent 8000mile journey around the UK. We asked them totell us about their great day




..

Gerald Simonds is now a specialist Motability dealerfor the brand new range of Kymco Healthcare ForUscooters. Specifically designed ForU, with many new andadvanced design features, high quality ForU scootersimprove your independence and mobility by giving youthe most comfortable driving experience available. Wecan provide the complete Kymco range, from the smallestMicro ForU to the largest Maxi XLS ForU, ensuringthat you will get the best scooter to suit your needs.

And by buying your new Kymco ForU scooterthrough Motability, you get all the support and helpyou need to enjoy worry-free mobility. Your leaseincludes standard nationwide pricing, insurance, loss

We are now pleased to offer the new TR Series 3,with a swept-in dual-tube frame that makes it evenmore rigid and provides optimal energy transfer,making it even easier to push. The TR3 has themost compact TR frame ever, making the Series 3easier to transport. Chair width is 1” less, improvingmanouevrability in tight spaces and the weight ofthe frame is 3lb lighter.

The difference between a TiFit chairand all other chairs is that a TiFit chair is tailoredspecifically to you. Every frame is made to measureso the optimal fit of a TiFit chair brings unparalleledperformance and function. Choice matters and thatis why TiLite offers more options than any othermanufacturer! The choice is yours. For a free, no-obligation demonstration contact us FREE on 0800220975 or email [email protected]

TILITE TR3. THE BEST JUST GOT BETTER

and damage protection and breakdown assistance fromMotability Assist – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Itreally is that simple. Choose a new Kymco ForU scooterfrom Gerald Simonds and, before you place your order, ourexperts will go through a product suitability assessmentwith you to make sure you get the model that bestmeets your needs.

Contact us on [email protected] or callFREE on 0800 220975 for more details.

New Kymco Scooters with

Some of the new Kymco Scooters(from l to r) Kymco Super 4,

Kymco Maxi, Kymco Mini

At the time of writing the Olympic Games arein full swing. Team GB is winning gold andthe whole nation is behind the Games. Themood is set to continue from 29 Augustwith the start of the Paralympics. For the firsttime the Games are sold out and full TVcoverage will ensure the biggest nationalaudience ever. Gerald Simonds is proudto have been involved with WheelPower,owners of Stoke Mandeville Stadium,spiritual home of the Paralympics, andwith the Aces wheelchair basketballteam and members of the GB squad. Keep visitingour dedicated website www.suchgoodsports.co.ukto follow progress during the games. Then sit backand enjoy the excitement as, hopefully, the medaltally grows in the world’s greatest celebration ofdisabled sport. Come on Team GB!

COME ON TEAM GB!The titanium TR series rigid chair is flag-ship of the TiLite range. Lighter, moreefficient and more elegant than anyother chair.

Olympic torchbearer Georgie Friend will be verybusy over the next few weeks as overall teamleader for the GB Wheelchair Rugby team at theLondon 2012 Paralympics. Georgie, who works asa Clinical Support Worker in Sports Rehab atStoke Mandeville, started by helping LondonWheelchair Rugby Club on evenings and weekendsand soon became involved with the GB rugbydevelopment team.

Volunteering for London 2012Paralympics, she became team leader for GBWheelchair Rugby. ‘The job means I have to lookafter everybody on the team’, explained Georgie.‘That includes making sure they all get to theright place at the right time, looking after theirfood and dietary requirements and taking care ofall their media activities.’

The Paralympic Wheelchair Rugbycompetition will see eight teams from Australia,Belgium, Canada, France, Japan, Sweden, UnitedStates, and Great Britain competing for medals.

The tournament begins on September 5th andwill open with Team GB taking on the numberone world ranked United States. The USA are aformidable team but Team GB will have homeadvantage and will be looking to cause an upset.

Georgie is alreadylooking beyond the LondonGames and is involvedin helping to develop theelite team to take part inRio de Janeiro in 2016.She is also about to goto Canada for a year, studyingfor a Post Graduate degree in Sports Scienceat Georgian College in Toronto.

Wheelchair Rugby first appeared in theAtlanta 1996 Paralympic Games, when it featuredas a demonstration sport. Its debut as a fullmedal event followed at Sydney 2000, when theUS beat Australia 32-31 to win the gold medal.The sport was invented in 1977 by a group of

Try! Try! Try!

In Wheelchair Rugby every playeris assigned a point value based on

their functional ability, from 0.5 for a

player with the least physical function

through to 3.5 for the most physical

function. During play, the total on-court

value for each team of four players

cannot exceed eight points.

Georgie Friend with the GB RugbyDevelopment Team

‘The job means I haveto look after everybody

on the team’

Canadian quadriplegic athletes,who were looking for an alternativeto Wheelchair Basketball thatwould allow players with reducedarm and hand function to participateon equal terms.



ReChargeReCharge is a plug in handle that makes chargingbatteries much easier. It can be used with any powerwheelchair or mobility scoooter to replace the small,hard to access 3 pin XLR sockets common to mostpower wheelchairs. It has a large, easy to grasp handleand mast that can be inserted in a socket of the CentreDrive System.With the ReCharge, simply plug in theoversized handle and your battery will start to charge.It’s as simple as that.

The Centre Drive systems offers a range ofmounting positions: at the front for midline drive or toreposition your existing joystick to the centre; at theside for when you want to manoeuvre short distancessuch as when you’re getting in or out of tables or desks,or at the rear for easy-to-operate attendent controls.All sockets can be used for the ReCharge to simplifybattery charging.

The Centre Drive System really is an advancefor users of power wheelchairs. Simply plug’n’go andyou’re right at the centre of the action.

Call us FREE on 0800 220975 or email [email protected] for more detais.

We are excited to announce the new Active ControlsCentre Drive System, advanced ‘plug’n’go’ technologyfor driving and charging almost any power wheelchair.

The JoyBar, ReJoy and ReCharge giveeffortless drop-in conection, robust midline drive andinterface with all makes of power wheelchair.

JoyBarJoyBar is a new drive control that allows you to steeryour power wheelchair like a scooter. This combinationof intuitive scooter-style controls with power chairmanoeuvrability creates a much more natural riderexperience. In the attendent position the JoyBar providesincreased stability and greater control with no need forany electronic upgrades. The Joybar simply plugs in andaway you go. Then it can be removed easily for access.

ReJoyReJoy provides a platform to reposition the joystick ofany power wheelchair to midline. Centre mounted drivecontrols offer better body positioning and alignment ofthe drive control directly in the user’s line of sight. Justwhere you want it! The Centre Drive System gives stablepositoning of a joystick with secure, spring loadeddrop-in connections. Plug it in and you’re away.Pressure relieving gel pads are adjustable by height,width and pitch to support the user’s hands.


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The new Active Controls CentreDrive System, consisting of theJoyBar Drive Control, ReJoycentre mounted drive controls

and ReCharge plug incharger, puts you at the

centre of the action on anypower wheelchair!

Centre of Attention

Active Controls Centre Drive System

rocky paths and hills. A lot of the path follows an oldmilitary road which is very rough, mostly loose rocksand some really big boulders, and there are manystreams, walls, stiles and cattle grids to be navigated,but the FreeWheel stood up to it all.

‘It really was unbelievable,’ enthused Jim, ‘Ican’t rate it highly enough.When we attempted thesame route in 2008 I had to be pushed for 95% of iton my back wheels, which wasn't much fun. Howeverthis time, with the FreeWheel, I managed to push thewhole way myself. It really battered over rocks andmade the ride so comfortable. I also noticed just howmuch easier it was to push and it took a lot lessenergy.’ The FreeWheel was fitted to Jim’s trusty TiLiteTRC. ‘That chair has been everywhere with me andstood up to every bit of abuse I've thrown at it. I alsoused my Spinergy LX wheels rear wheels with 2" off-road tyres.’

And what was the best part of the journey?‘Probably reaching the top of the Devil's Staircase,’ saidJim, ‘that was pretty special. It's about 1700 feet ofclimb. We reached it by early afternoon so we had timeto have our lunch at the summit. It was priceless to seesome of the looks on other walkers faces as theyreached the top and saw someone in a wheelchair hadmanaged to get up it!’

So far the friends have raised nearly £6000for the Erskine charity. But do they have any more chal-lenges in mind? ‘Rather stupidly on our last night inFort William, over a few celebratory beers, we decidedthat next year we are going to climb Ben Nevis!

Civil servant Jim, aged 30, suffers from OsteogenesisImperfecta, a condition which causes brittle bones, but ithas not stopped him and a group of friends – all RangersFC season ticket holders - taking on a range of challenges,mostly in aid of forces and ex-services charities. Jimexplained how the project started: ‘One afternoon, after amatch, we were approached by a representative of theErskine charity, who raise funds for military veterans, tosee if we would consider doing the West HighlandWay totry to raise some money for them. Of course we said yes.’

Jim has been using a wheelchair since he wassix years old. ‘I’ve broken bones a couple of hundredtimes,’ he said. ‘The last bad break I had was in 2006.I broke my back at T in the Park when someone jumpedon my tent while I was in my sleeping bag. I got airliftedto the spinal unit at the Southern General.’

The team, which included close friends TonyHoggan, Graeme Grant and Paul McIvor and Jim’s uncle,Gordon Easton, left Milngavie north of Glasgow at thebeginning of June and covered 20 miles on their firstday, including climbing the optional Conic Hill. Theycovered the remaining 76 miles over the following week,spending each night camping along the Way.

‘We had really good weather,’ recalled Jim.‘We had a few brief showers but thankfully they wereon really hot days and while we were on harder paths,so things never got too muddy. Of course, the flip-sideto the nice weather was that it encouraged the dreadedScottish midge!’

The ground on the Way varies betweendifferent surfaces such as fields, dirt tracks, forest trails,

Jim Easton from Falkirk in Scotlandrecently completed the daunting 96mile challenge of the West HighlandWay, which stretches from Milngavieto Fort William in Scotland, in a TiLiteTRC fitted with a FreeWheel all terrainadd-on loaned by Gerald Simonds.

FreeWheelingthe West

Highland Way

Lone Rose has long experience of workingwith wheelchairs and wheelchair users, having workedas a physiotherapist in spinal cord injury since 1977and developing the seating service at the NSIC at StokeMandeville in the 1980's. Lone ran the Seating Clinic atStoke Mandeville until 2004. We asked her for heradvice for someone considering a new wheelchair:‘Inexperienced or first time users should listen to advicefrom therapists, other users in a similar situation and,indeed, commercial specialists. Go with the advice youfeel makes most sense for you. At all costs, avoid beingpressurised into something you do not feel is right foryou. And always try out the potential wheelchair in yourhome environment before committing to it - whetherbuying or having it supplied by the wheelchair service’.

Further Master Classes are planned forSouthport SCIC on 9th November 2012 and SheffieldSCIC on 5th February 2013. Contact Karen Mikalsen [email protected] for more details.

The World’s Best Mobility and Seating SolutionsNews from Gerald Simonds

Suppliers of the World’s Best Mobility and Seating Solutions

Gerald Simonds Healthcare Ltd.9 March Place, Gatehouse WayAylesbury, Bucks HP19 8UA

Tel: 01296 380200email: [email protected]

www.gerald-simonds.co.uk

We are pleased to be sponsors of a new series ofWheelchair Master Classes run by the Spinal InjuriesAssociation (SIA). The first Choosing Your WheelchairMaster Class was held at Stoke Mandeville in May and

presented by Lone Rose, clinicalspecialist and physiotherapist. Thesession described in detail theergonomic features of a manualwheelchair and the implication ofeach one on function and gaveguidance on optimal wheelchair set-up and discussed minimising the riskof upper limb pain, both based oncurrent evidence.

There was also an opportunity for wheel-chair skills training with the SCI charity BackUp providing details of their wheelchair skills courses.Barbara Byrom and Nesad Causevic from GeraldSimonds were also on hand to answer questions.

Martin McElhatton, Chief Executive of WheelPower, is‘very honoured’ to be one of 580 inspirational torch-bearers chosen to carry the Paralympic Flame. TheParalympic Torch Relay will take place from 24–29August after four flames from London, Belfast, Cardiffand Edinburgh are united at Stoke Mandeville to formthe Paralympic Flame. The torch will then be taken ona 24-hour overnight relay to the Paralympic OpeningCeremony at the Olympic Stadium on 29 August, intime for the start of the Paralympic Games.

Martin played for Great Britain in the 1984Paralympic Games in Wheelchair Basketball and also inthe 1986 World Championships and 1987 EuropeanChampionships. As well as his work with WheelPower -British Wheelchair Sport at Stoke Mandeville, withwhich we are proud to be associated, Martin isChairman of the National Wheelchair Tennis Associationof Great Britain and President of the InternationalWheelchair Tennis Association and member of the ITFWheelchair Tennis Committee having played andcoached wheelchair tennis for over 25 years.

ALBER / ETAC / HANDICARE / JAY / KUSCHALL / LEVO / KYMCO / PROACTIV / QUICKIE / TILITE / VICAIR.. ..

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Keeping theflame alive

SIA WHEELCHAIR MASTER CLASS

PARALYMPIC TORCH RELAY

Martin McElhatton will keep the Paralympic flame alive.

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