I am delighted to announce that I have joined Sunrise Medical as an ambassador for their Powered Wheelchairs! It’s a huge opportunity, that I’m incredibly grateful for as well as an opportunity to spread the word about boccia on a bigger platform.
My journey as a wheelchair user has been far from smooth, but one consistency that I have always had was that I was using a Sunrise Medical wheelchair / powerchair. Before being diagnosed with dystonia at 19, I was hiring a wheelchair that was completely unsuitable for my needs, I was unable to be independent as the chair was too heavy for me to be able to lift, or push any distance. Although I had been experiencing symptoms for 3 years previously and using an unsuitable wheelchair, I wasn’t able to access NHS wheelchair services until I had a diagnosis, a barrier that still exists in many parts of the UK.
The wheelchair I was then offered from wheelchair services was of similar dimensions / weight to the existing one, so my parents were able to purchase a second hand Quickie Neon from a local mobility shop. For the first time as a wheelchair user, I felt like a chair was nimble and could keep up with my lifestyle.
As my condition changed and progressed, I went from needing a folding chair to one that was more robust and had a fixed frame. Again we consulted the specialists at a local mobility shop and I was able to purchase another second hand / ex demo active wheelchair, this time a Quickie Argon in magenta! I had a more supporting backrest, as well as a better cushion with camber added to the chair to reduce my hip / spinal pain.
I was always aware of the potential progressive nature of my condition, so in my early 20’s I approached the NHS to see if I would be eligible for a powered wheelchair. At this stage of my condition I was struggling for the hand function to push my manual chair more than a few metres, and also had stopped being able to walk. I was approved for my first powerchair (Quickie Salsa R) through the NHS and I received it a short time later. In Northern Ireland you must complete a ‘driving test’ when you receive an NHS powerchair, so after a short time at 2mph speed (slower than my tortoises!) I passed my test and was upgraded to a top speed of 4mph.
This chair was a gamechanger for me, and I was able to be independent again. It was around this time that I was selected to join the World Class Programme at Boccia UK. Had I thought that 12 months later I would be representing Paralympics GB in Rio 2016 Paralympics. My Salsa R enabled me to compete on the biggest stage for disability sport, but also be comfortable throughout the long days of competition.
After 2016, I finished college and decided to make boccia my full time job. With that I made some changes, both personally but also within our family. My dad retired early from work to make sure that I could travel and compete in a sport that I loved. I also decided that now was the time to prioritise a specific ‘boccia chair’ which had been tailormade for sport, and then have a separate ‘day chair’ which would have functions for comfort, independence and be robust in an inaccessible world!
Enter my Quickie Salsa R2, with custom seating system and specific ‘boccia features’ including custom controls, handles and extra weight for stabilisation. I got this chair in 2017 and it is still the chair I use today to compete in. It’s been an absolute GAMECHANGER, and I don’t plan on changing the specifics of it anytime soon.
As for daychairs, I tried out a different manufacturer in 2018, and despite lots of assurances that my issues / difficulties with the chair were just anomalies, I was never satisfied with the performance or endurance of the wheelchair I was using. I was not confident to go out alone, as I was concerned about breaking down or having a battery failure.
COVID hit in 2020, and the Paralympics was postponed a year. I decided after frequent breakdowns of my daychair that the time was right to change. I was able to purchase a second hand Q500m from a company in England, who delivered it to me in Northern Ireland within a week. After a seating system swap, I was back to familiar territory with lengthy battery life and the endurance / robustness I expected from a powerchair.
After winning the World Championships in 2022, I started the process of sharing more behind the scenes content online of a boccia athlete. This has gained in traction and eventually I was put in contact with Sunrise Medical, and we discussed the possibility of an ambassadorship, which I was delighted with!
Sunrise Medical has been part of my life for 10 years now, and it only seems right that I can attribute some of my success (both on and off the boccia court) to their mobility products. I’ll be sharing more about my new Q500m in the run up to the Paralympics, and all the fancy functions that I have, but for now, I’m so grateful to Sunrise Medical choosing me to be their first Powerchair / Boccia Ambassador.
