We are extremely saddened by the passing of our co-founder Paula Moulton.

Paula was a star in so many people’s lives and excelled in her own life after finding her love for dance.  She will be deeply missed by friends and family and everyone within the international wheelchair dance community.

From her early days learning to dance, she found a passion and within a year was competing internationally in Holland in 2011 where she took a very unexpected Gold Medal in Amateur Latin with her dance partner and co-founder Gary Lyness.

They remained undefeated across Europe as Amateur Combi Latin Champions for three years and progressed to compete as the UK’s first Top level Wheelchair Dance Sport couple in IPC competitions for Para Dance Sport Team GB in 2016. 

In 2017 they began to train with Accursio Romeo at Romeo Dance Academy in Milton Keynes and reached a highest IPC ranking of 8^th in the World in 2017 in Combi Latin and 7^th in Combi Freestyle.

Known publicly as “Strictly Wheels” and for their appearance on Britain’s Got Talent in 2012 they wowed the judges with their audition getting 4 “yeses” and went through to appear in the live semi-finals.

Paula will be sorely missed by all of us at Strictly Wheels as well as the whole international Para Dance Community.

A Fundraiser page has been set up in her memory to ensure she can have the funeral she deserves and the people that loved her can come together to celebrate.

DONATE HERE

.

It hit the news last weekend that BBC Strictly Come Dancing are on the hunt for a celebrity wheelchair user to pair with a celebrity for this year’s series.

Anyone who knows us, knows that we’ve been dancing wheelchair Ballroom and Latin for over 12 years now and have been wondering when Strictly might get around to including a wheelchair user for the main series.

We all remember back in 2014 there was a Paralympics Sport Relief Special where Paralympian Hannah Cockcroft paired with pro Pasha Kovalev took the crown.  Also appearing was Martine Wright with pro Ian Waite.  We had the pleasure on that occasion to be invited to the studios to help out with tips and technique.  Yet, this was never followed up.

We also saw a brilliant collaboration in 2018 with professional dance company Candoco featuring dancers with various disabilities.

In the past few years we’ve seen several celebrities with differing disabilities competing and they have broken through the barriers to show that our own motto “Ability not Disability” shines through. But not a wheelchair user.

We certainly hope the rumour mill will ring true this year, it’s been a long time coming. Wheelchair users have successfully competed in international versions of the show. In “Dancing with the Stars” Holland,  Bibian Mentel danced all the way to the final in 2019. This was followed by Norway in 2020 with Birgit Skarstein who lasted 8 weeks on the show and more recently Aron Anderson in Sweden’s “Lets Dance” who came fourth.

These other shows prove it can be done!

We’ve been shouting about this for a long time having competed internationally in Ballroom and Latin for Team GB at World Para Dance Sport competitions for the last 10 years. There have been National Competitions in the UK since 2009 with many clubs springing up around the country.

One thing we do hope is that the media reporting on it get “with it” in the language they use when talking about disability.   Using phrases like “wheelchair bound” isn’t helpful.   We are people with disabilities who are also wheelchair users.  For this reason we have always requested final approval on press articles to make sure that correct terminology is used.

Wheelchair Ballroom and Latin dance (now Para Dance) has been around for over 50 years particularly in Europe but has never really taken off to a grand scale in the UK.  The biggest IPC World Championships had 225 athletes from 26 countries competing in Bonn 2019.  We were proud to represent Team GB.

In our early days of dancing we took our sport to the TV screens in Britain’s Got Talent  in 2012 to show the UK that wheelchair Ballroom and Latin does exist and to promote the sport.

We’ll be watching with a keen eye to find out if a wheelchair user makes to the hallowed ballroom and no doubt will be sharing some tips and technique along the way!

We’ve had a terrific year at Strictly Wheels both at home and internationally, so we though we’d look back at some of the Highlights of 2018.

February

Our dancers got to showcase Para Dance at the Forever Manchester Birthday Awards and to say thank you to local funders who have supported our group.

April

Debutante couple, Lloyd and Goz take to the floor at the largest open international competition – the Dutch Open in Cuijk, Netherlands.  They danced Debutante both days of the competition and took home Silver medals in a tough field.

May

Mainhatten Cup in Frankfurt saw Gary and Paula take to the floor for the first time this season following time out for injury.  Lloyd and Goz competed in Debutante again taking a Silver medal.

June

Gary and Paula headed to Poland where they danced Freestyle to gain 4^th place and 6^th place in Latin Combi.

July

Gary leaped off a 300ft crane to do a Bungee Jump helping to raise over £300 for our charity.

August

Gary and Paula took part in the 10^th Gay Games in Paris at their first integrated dance competition to feature wheelchair dance.  They wowed the crowd and the judges taking home the Gold Medal.

They were also welcomed as guests on the Radio 4 Saturday Show following their success.

September

We were thrilled to demo Para Dance at Timestep Community Dance Gala Dinner in Yorkshire and the Associated Board of Dance Annual Gala in Walsall.

Paula was shortlisted for Achievement in Disability Sport at the Manchester Sports Awards.

October

The UK National Championships saw every member of Strictly Wheels’ medal in their categories.  A total of 3 Gold, 2 Silver and 2 Bronze were brought home to the club.  Highlights were the Freestyles by Lloyd, Goz and Kay – the first time our dancers have done Freestyle in UK Competition.

November

Gary and Paula headed back to Poland to the European Championships, debuting their new “LaLaLand” freestyle they just missed out on Bronze medal placing 4^th.  They had a good result at this level in Latin placing 5^th.   

Final World Rankings saw them 7^th in Freestyle and 8^th in Latin – their first ever top 10 World Ranking.

They competed at the Malta Open Championships taking double Gold in Latin and Freestyle.

Lloyd and Goz also brought home a Silver Medal in Debutante Latin and Bronze in Debutante Ballroom.

December

A wonderful treat to end the year with all our members  heading to Blackpool to dance at the renowned and beautiful Tower Ballroom.

We’ve had a great year again here at Strictly Wheels with many medals from all our dancers both Nationally and Internationally!

It’s time for a well earned break and rest so here’s the details of our Winter Class Times 2018-2019.

Our classes will run as normal up to 19th December as the last class before Christmas.

19th Dec – 7.00pm

26th Dec – No class

2nd Jan – No class

9th Jan – No class

16th Jan – 7.00pm

23rd Jan – No Class

30th Jan – 7.00pm

6th Feb – No Class

13th Feb – ongoing weekly at 7.00pm

We’ll see you all in the New Year for another great year of Wheelchair Dance!

We have the following highlights to look forward to in 2019:

• UK National
• Dutch Open Championships
• Denmark Open Championships
• WPDS World Championships

If you want to come along and try a class, just pop in, everyone is welcome – wheelchair users and standing dancers alike.  You don’t need to have any experience, everyone is a beginner at some point!

Last Saturday 27^th October, saw dancers from across the country attend the UK National Para Dance Sport Championships 2018 in Harrow.

Strictly Wheels club team featured 5 debutante dancers, with some returning to retain their titles competing alongside over 50 competitors.

The day kicked off with a Latin 5-dance showcase performance from our own GB competitors, Paula Moulton and Gary Lyness.  The couple are currently 8^th in Europe in Latin Combi in the official World Para Dance Sport rankings.

Conventional Events

First to take the floor was the Conventional Singles, with Goz taking to the floor in Class 1 to defend her double title from the last 2 years.  Goz says “The worst part of competing for me is waiting in the line-up for the results.  That’s when my nerves kick in, because it’s out of your control.  You’ve done all you can in the performance and now it’s up to the judges to see if you’re good enough”.

Needless to say, there was nothing to worry about. She shone through with her varied choreography and a winning smile to make her 3^rd consecutive Gold in Single Women Class 1.

Up next was Duo couple Kay dancing with Paula, who samba’d their way to Gold again for Strictly Wheels club.

Lloyd and Goz in Combi Class 1 hoped to win back their title from 2016 but were just pipped to the post by last year’s winners to take Silver Medal for the 2^nd year running.  Their energetic samba stole the show though.

Last to dance in the conventional events was new paring Kay and Melvyn.  They only paired up 3 months ago and were nervous taking to the floor, however, neat footwork and top line in the Waltz and Quickstep sailed them through to take another Gold for Strictly Wheels.  Melvyn said, “It was a very friendly and enjoyable competition”.

Freestyle Events

The afternoon session featured the Freestyle events in Singles, Combi and Group dances.

Gary and Paula opened the afternoon with a sneak preview of their new Freestyle routine.  The routine gets its competition premiere at the WPDS European Championships on 9^th November in Poland.

For the first time ever our dancers took part in the Freestyle events with Kay dancing in Single Women Class 2 and Lloyd and Goz in Combi Class 1.

We’ll be honest, they were a little under rehearsed due to time limits before the event, however, we were incredibly proud of their achievements.

Kay’s emotional routine to “This Is Me” from Greatest Showman stole the round with the audience reaction but failed to wow the judges as much taking the bronze medal.  Kay commented “I especially enjoyed my freestyle dance and the reaction I got, the support and appreciation from the audience was really special and I shall remember that for a long time. I’d do it all over again tomorrow if I could!”.

An atmospheric “He lives in me” from the Lion King from Lloyd and Goz was confidently performed and again saw them pick up the bronze medal.  They’ll be brushing up their routine more in the next 4 weeks before they compete again at the Malta Open Dance Spectacular.  Lloyd said “performing freestyle for the first time was a highlight for me. Despite it not being perfect on the day, one judge scored us first.  So, I know with more polish and practice the routine has potential to do better”.

Lloyd was also quick to congratulate his dance partner; “I realised how much I appreciate Goz as a partner and competitor. Everyone heard how pleased I was when she won gold in Single Women again!! I am proud and lucky to have her as my partner”.

Other memorable performances from other competitors came from Birmingham Freewheelin’s Group routine to Tina Turner’s Rolling.  Not to mention the huge group number by WOWD to Greatest Showman.

Paula said “We’re super proud of our dancers some of whom were thrown freestyle choreography a few weeks ago.  Having the courage to trust us as coaches.  For them to get on the floor and perform the way they did was amazing.  What makes it worthwhile is to see the emotion on their faces when their results are called!  It just goes to show what wheelchair dance can do for people and we hope more people can come and join us to learn.”

In total Strictly Wheels club came away with medal placings in every event.  Total medal tally is 3 Gold, 1 Silver and 2 Bronze.

If you are interested in learning to wheelchair dance our classes take place in Manchester each week.  Everyone is welcome no matter what your background or experience.

Our co-founder Gary is taking a leap of faith, literally, as he plunges from a crane to do a 300ft bungee jump to raise funds for Strictly Wheels.

The 300ft bungee jump, the equivalent of leaping off a 20-storey building, is the highest in the UK!

Gary is looking for sponsors and you can donate to us online here – make sure you Gift Aid if you are a UK Tax Payer – this adds a whopping 25% to your donation!

The bungee jump is taking place over the lake at Tatton Park, Cheshire on Saturday 14^th July.  Anyone is welcome to come along and watch.  (There are parking charges at Tatton Park.)

Keep an eye on our social media channels for updates on the fundraising and from the jump on the day!  We’ll even “Go live” to watch!

All the funds raised will go to support our charity which aims to promote wheelchair and Para Dance in the UK and our local class in Manchester.  Our core aim is to keep our classes FREE so those on limited income can still enjoy free classes.  We also support dancers aiming to compete in the UK and internationally to achieve their goals.

Last Saturday 11^th November saw dancers from across the country attend the UK National Para Dance Sport Championship 2017 in Ware, Herts.

The day kicked off with a showcase performance from our own GB competitors, Paula Moulton and Gary Lyness dancing their international Freestyle routine to Empire State of Mind.  The couple are currently 7^th in Europe in Freestyle Combi in the official World Para Dance Sport rankings.

Strictly Wheels club team featured 6 debutante dancers and for most of them, it was their first UK National Championship.

First to take the floor was the Conventional Singles, with Kay and Rachel competing against each other in the Ladies Class 2 and Goz in Class 1.  Goz and Rachel shone through to take Gold with Kay taking Silver in the Class 2.  Single Men Class 2 Gold was clinched by Joe.

Taking to the floor for their 2^nd National were Lloyd and Goz, the largest category – Combi Class 1, the pair danced well, with great timing and footwork, but just fell short of retaining their title, to take the silver medal.

The afternoon session featured the Freestyle events in Singles, Combi and Group dances.

Joe from Strictly Wheels wowed the crowd with a confident performance of his self-choreographed Singles routine to take the Gold Medal.  He took to the floor again with sister, Holly to also take his 3^rd Gold of the day in the Combi Class 2 Freestyle.

The judges praised the all dancers for showing their enthusiasm on the floor together with good technique and demonstrating the character of each dance.

Other memorable performances from other competitors came from WOWD’s Katie in the Single Ladies Class 1 Freestyle and the team from SportsAble’s Group Freestyle.

Paula said “We’re super proud of our dancers some who have only been learning for 6-7 weeks to have had the courage to get on the floor and take part in their first competition.  To see the emotion on their faces when their results were called was amazing!  It just goes to show what wheelchair dance can do for people and we hope more people can come and join us to learn.”

Full photos from the competition are on our Facebook page.

If you are interested in learning to wheelchair dance our classes take place in Manchester each week.  Everyone is welcome no matter what your background or experience.

This Saturday 11^th November 2017 sees the UK Wheelchair Dance Championship in Ware.

We took time out to speak to Strictly Wheels club members, Lloyd and Goz, about their preparation for the competition.

You’re about to compete in the UK Wheelchair Dance Sport Championship; how do you feel about it?

Goz – I was a little worried as we were still working on a new routine only last week, but in the last few days it’s come together.  Now I am excited about competing in the UK National Championships and also I don’t want to mess up because I have a few friends coming from all over the country to watch us dance!

Lloyd – It’s our 2^nd time competing in the UK Wheelchair Dance Championships, so on some level we kind of know what to expect event wise. We’re going back as reigning UK National Champions in Debutante Combi and whilst still not perfect our dancing is definitely stronger than last year.  My heel leads are all in the right place and I am even starting to master the “toe lower” in ballroom dances.  As with every competition, we don’t know who’s going to be there competing against us, but hopefully we are technically stronger.

In the UK Championships where would you like to be placed, what would make you happy?

Goz – I know it’s about taking part and I am the quieter one in the partnership with Lloyd but deep down, I do want to win and retain the title. So, we have to come first place. We have to win!!

It’s also my first time doing Debutante Single Ladies so I will be happy with any result as long as I perform well.

Lloyd – As the returning champions I am going into the competition wanting to win again and retain that title! Winning would make me happy as I feel we would have shown development and hopefully show we are ready to progress from Debutante level. But equally taking my competitive hat off, I would be happy knowing we danced our socks off with 3 solid routines to be proud of!

What kind of preparation goes into a competition?

Goz – We practice every week for two hours at the club.  Outside of our lessons Lloyd and I practice whenever we can mostly at lunchtime at work.  We’ve even been known to practice in corridors!

Lloyd – I would literally describe preparation for a competition as blood, sweat and tears.  We have weekly classes, but leading up to a competition Goz and I practice daily during our lunch hour working on things such as posture and our hold. This also helps stamina and gets us used to dancing to different music and recognising the beat in the music. There’s also the glam side of things coordinating our outfits and going shopping for those all-important accessories. We literally think of everything from footwork to appearance.

How important is Wheelchair dance to you?

Goz – To be honest I never thought dance would be part of my life. And when I first tried it some years ago, I absolutely hated it.  It wasn’t until I found a partner that really understood dance, and enjoyed dancing that I started to appreciate and enjoy it a lot more. Even if my partner decided to give up, I would still continue to dance. I enjoy meeting new people and learning new skills even though I might complain about it sometimes! Most of all I love competing and hope one day to compete in the IPC World Championships and represent Team GB at that level.

Lloyd – Over the past year it’s grown to be an important part of my life, and I am so pleased Goz asked me to be her partner.  When I was younger I tried ballroom and Latin and used to compete in Disco dance. I am also an avid fan of “Strictly”, so dance is a big passion of mine.  Never in a million years did I think I would be competing for my country in sport both Nationally and Internationally. It’s so rewarding – I have met lots of new friends, learnt a lot about myself but most importantly my friendship with Goz has become stronger.  We hope to progress and dance at Amateur level and top level in the future.

Would you recommend taking part in Wheelchair Dance?

Goz – Yes! I am constantly trying to persuade people to join the club, and experience the benefits of wheelchair dance! So, yes!

Lloyd –  I love dancing and would encourage anyone to just do it, but if you want to push yourself and do something different, then definitely try wheelchair dance!  You can do it socially and it’s a great way to meet new friends and help understand disability issues. You can also push and challenge yourself and compete both nationally and internationally. It’s opened doors for me that I never thought were possible. It’s definitely a hobby that can turn into a passion and that’s the great thing about wheelchair dance

Follow us on Social Media for updates live from the competition on Saturday.

If you want to try Wheelchair Dancing, then why not pop along to one of our FREE classes!

It’s just 3 weeks to the Para Dance Sport World Championship 2017 which takes place in Malle, Belgium on 21^st-22^nd October.

We took time out to speak to Team GB competitors, Paula Moulton and Gary Lyness about their preparation for a major competition.

You’re about to compete in a Para Dance Sport World Championship for the first time; how do you feel about it?

Paula: I’m really looking forward to the opportunity to compete at the World Championships. It will be fantastic to meet all the other competitors from round the world and get to compete with them. Yes, I’m nervous, but I equally excited.

Gary: It’s a fantastic feeling and very proud moment to represent your country at this level in a World Championship.  We compete mostly against European couples throughout the year, so it will be great to see the rest of the world in action too.

Who do you say are your main competitors in the upcoming competition?

Paula: I would say our main competition is Germany and some of the competitors from Asia. We will meet competitors who we have never even seen dance before so there is a big unknown element to the event.

Gary: I would agree, we have been placing consistently behind Germany for the last year, also Finland we’ve placed ahead and behind in 2017.

In the Para Dance Sport World Championship 2017, where would you like to be placed, what would make you happy?

Paula: Of course, we would love to win, however, we are also realistic.  There is the unknown as to who you will be competing against. For me, in Latin it

would be great to finish in the top ten and in Freestyle the top 6.

Gary: We’re dancing in Combi Latin and Freestyle.  This will be our first major competition doing Freestyle, so we’ve worked with our trainer to revamp our current routine which placed 4^th in the Mainhatten Cup in June, so it would be great to equal or better that.  It would be amazing to make the final in Latin, but realistically, I’d be happy with semi-final places as we’re just starting to up our game in this with our new trainer.

What kind of preparation goes into a competition?

Paula: We have been preparing for the last few months working on choreography, now we are stamina training and ensuring that our lines are correct and that moves are tight, sharp and defined.  Oh, and don’t forget all that tanning and hair and nails that must be done the week of the competition!  You have to look the part as well as dance it.

Gary: It’s been a transitional year for us, with a new classification and then changing classification again part way through the year.  We’ve also not had a trainer for 3 years, so we’ve missed a lot of development while we’ve been competing at top level.  We’ve now begun working with Accursio Romeo, travelling to Milton Keynes for sessions at least once a month.  Having spent the first part of the year working on choreography, we’ve only just begun to work on improving technique.  For now, the focus is on stamina over the next 2 weeks to ensure we can perform our routines multiple times in a short space of time.

How different if any is it competing at the Para Dance Sport World Championship 2017 than any other international competition?

Paula:  A World Championship is a much more formal and prestigious event.  Things like the opening ceremony that happen at other competitions is much more formal with the raising of official IPC flag and athlete and trainer declarations, just like at the Paralympics.

At an event like the Worlds it’s also the knowing you truly are competing against the best of the best

Gary: It gives you an enormous pride to be representing your country at World Level.  As the official World Championships, there is the prestige in the placings and rankings.  We’d like to thank the UK Governing Body, WDSA (UK) for supporting us to enable us to compete and make sure GB is on the world stage for Para Dance Sport.

The event will be streamed live on the World Para Dance Sport website.

The Strictly Launch Show 2017 was a resounding success if the ratings were anything to go by.

Not just for the heartfelt and sincere tribute to the late Sir Bruce Forsythe, but for the excitement and build-up of which professionals the celebs will be partnered with.

We were watching eagle eyed though at the first group dance to get a glimpse of the celebs in action and make some early predictions on who to watch out for.

There are some great pairings, good matches we think with Charlotte Hawkins and Brendan Cole – he’s always had a good thing with the slightly more mature ladies! along with Ruth Langsford and Anton du Beke – she’ll hopefully do well in the ballroom in his safe arms.

It will be interesting to see how the more characterful celebs get on with the likes of Rev Richard Coles, Brian Conley, Chizzy Akudulo and Susan Calman.

We’ll be looking forward to the paring of Paralympian Jonnie Peacock with the fabulous Oti Mabuse – some of Oti’s routines last year with Danny Mac were the highlight of the season, notably that raunchy animalistic samba!  Jonnie did seem a bit stiff in his upper body in the opener, but we’ve seen sports people before who suddenly lose that stiffness which has been drilled into them once they give in and let their inhibitions go.  Fingers crossed his fast legs will be a positive for him.  We’ll be keen to see what prosthetic Jonnie chooses to use depending on whether he’s doing ballroom or latin – we’ve seen how People’s Strictly winner Cassidy Little used a blade to dance Paso to give him more flexibility of movement.

So who are the ones to watch?

It usually falls to the more younger celebs, but we think there might be some dark horses in there.

Watching the opening group dance, certainly the likes of Aston Merrygold, Gemma Atkinson and Mollie King will likely be up there.

Dark horses for us could be the likes of Alexandra Burke, Joe McFadden – he was certainly giving it his all, and Simon Rimmer could turn out to be a good player on the ballroom front along with Davood Ghadami who was enthusiastic but very flat footed in the group dance.  Debbie McGee with her dance background could surface as well – she’s certainly got the performance and sparkle about her.

We’ll just have to wait a few weeks to get the full picture as they tackle their first dances!

It’s that time of year when the Strictly line up 2017 has been announced!

We’ve been getting drip fed celebs for the last few weeks, but we’re finally there with the full line up of 15 celebrities who are ready to step on to the dancefloor.

The range of celebs this year is again wide, from soap starts to sports stars, though there’s less emphasis on the sporting greats this year, who’ve usually been hot contenders.

One to watch for us is certainly going to be Jonnie Peacock – Paralympian T44 100m gold medallist legend.  It’s great to see a Paralympian make the main show, but he’s not the first on the Strictly dance floor.

We’ve seen Paralympians grace the floor in a one-off Sports Relief episode in 2014 with blind footballer David Clark, wheelchair racer Hannah Cockcroft, former World Champion javelin thrower Nathan Stephens and sitting volleyball player Martine Wright.  It was great then to see wheelchair dancers and indeed Hannah Cockcroft took the glitterball on that occasion.

We also had People’s Champion Strictly when Cassidy Little, took the crown – a below the knee amputee just like Jonnie, so does this bode well?  We’ll have to wait and see.

It will be interesting to see if Jonnie learns from Cassidy’s story and uses a blade rather than a prosthetic leg for dancing, or a mix depending on the discipline – ballroom or latin.  We’d suspect a prosthetic leg might work better in ballroom while a blade would allow more bounce and action in latin.

We’ll be following closely after the reveal show, but for now, here are a few of our favourites to watch out for.

Alexandra Burke – no stranger to dancing given her pop and musical stage career.

Debbie McGee – a child ballet dancer before starring alongside her late husband, magician Paul Daniels.

Aston Merrygold – pop idol used to popping his moves on the concert stage.

We’ll also be watching to see how ballroom legend Shirley Ballas falls into place in her new role as head judge, replacing Len Goodman.

Last weekend 17^th-18^th June 2017 saw a team from Great Britain travel to Frankfurt for the Mainhatten Cup 2017, Wheelchair Dance Sport Competition.

The team was made up of Para Dance Sport Team GB competitors, Gary Lyness and Paula Moulton along with 4 members of Strictly Wheels club who competed in the Debutante section.

This was the first international competition for the Strictly Wheels debutantes so it was a nervous outing for the pairs, even with UK National titles under their belts.

The weekend kicked off with WPDS Freestyle Singles and Combi events.

Following re-classification back into Class 2, Paula and Gary took to the floor in the Combi Freestyle 2 event against 8 couples.  They danced an extended version of their popular routine from their Britain’s Got Talent audition.

The judges this time were not as fearsome as Simon Cowell, but still as appreciative of the routine with the couple placing 4^th overall.  The event was clinched by the current European Champions from Poland, Marek Zaborowski and Kasia Bloch who have dominated freestyle combi for the last year with their compelling contemporary routine.

All the Debutante couples danced on Saturday afternoon.  Competing both for Great Britain and against each other, Lloyd and Goz, Oscar and Patricia took to the floor for the Debutante Combi 1 event.  After a nervous first round, then soon settled down and danced a great final with beaming smiles that warmed the audience watching.

Current UK Champions, Lloyd and Goz were pipped to the post by Germany and Austria taking Bronze for GB with Oscar and Patricia closely behind in 4^th place.

A quick partner swap and Oscar and Goz were in the Debutante Duo 1 final, dancing so well they were in a tie for 1^st place against the strong Austrian team who just clinched the Gold on points leaving GB with Silver Medal.

Paula said “We’re so proud of our dancers in their first major competition, they danced well and most importantly enjoyed themselves on the dance floor.  They’re now feeling inspired to push on and keep dancing and compete more for Great Britain”.

Sunday was the day for Conventional Singles and Latin.  Poland’s Kasia Bloch continued her flurry of Golds taking the Single Ladies 2 title against a strong field of over 10 dancers.

Gary and Paula danced for Team GB in the Latin Combi 2 event with 8 couples on the floor.  They danced confidently through the first round and heat and were extremely pleased to make the final placing 6^th.  Top spots went again to the polish couple of Marek and Kasia with a bronze to one of the home couples from Germany, Stefan and Vanessa.

Gary said “We weren’t sure if we would make the final given the strong competition, especially from the Asian region.  Winning over couples from Hong Kong and Japan to make the final is a great result for us.  We have a new trainer this year, Accursio Romeo, so we have new choreography which is always a challenge, so we’re really pleased to get this result early on. We now start the hard work with Accursio to hone technique and presentation in preparation for the World Championships in Belgium in October”.

Full results and round up are on the World Para Dance Sport website.

Photos from the weekend are on our Facebook page!

More than 150 dancers from over 10 countries gathered in The Netherlands for the Dutch Open and Cuijk Para Dance Sport Championship 2017 last weekend.

Cuijk, now in its 29^th year, is the largest wheelchair dance competition in the world.  Competitors at all levels from Debutante to Amateur and Para Dance Sport athletes come together to enjoy 2 full days of dancing.

This year, given the popularity of the new Singles and Freestyle events saw the competition stretch to a 3^rd afternoon, with these new events taking place on Friday.

Singles and Freestyle

Great Britain’s Paula Moulton took to the floor in the Single Ladies 1 event, dancing 5 dances with grace, elegance and power to take 4^th place behind Ukraine and Poland’s best.

Friday afternoon also saw the Single Men battling it out on the floor with a welcome return from Ukraine’s Ivan Sivak stealing the Gold from Poland’s Pawel Karpinski with some spectacular moves.

The Freestyle event gave equally great performances from the reigning European Champions in both Ladies Single Freestyle 2 and Combi Freestyle 2 with Olena Chynka’s performance to Bjork “It’s oh so quiet” taking gold.  The Combi Freestyle 2 Gold was taken by the powerful contemporary dance by Poland’s Marek Zaborowski and Kasia Bloch.

Latin and Standard

The main Latin and Ballroom events took place over Saturday and Sunday.  Large numbers of Debutantes and Amateur level dancers danced their way through heats and finals to make their mark on the adjudicators.

Great Britain’s Latin Combi couple made their appearance on Sunday afternoon in the World Para Dance Sport Finals.  Gary and Paula from Strictly Wheels club, having been reclassified danced in Latin Combi 1 for the first time.  They danced confidently, but were beaten to Gold by Finland’s Timo Pyykkonen and Tuuli Harju, taking the Silver Medal for Great Britain.

Photos from the competition are on our Facebook page.

Next Competition

Gary and Paula are now looking forward to their next competition in Denmark at the start of June followed by the World Para Dance Sport Mainhatten Cup in Germany 2 weeks later.

We’re pleased to announce Roma Sport, the UKs leading sports wheelchair manufacturer, have partnered with Strictly Wheels to bring a new range of dance wheelchairs to the UK.

Roma already supply sports wheelchairs to Rugby and Basketball at all levels.

Range of Dance Wheelchairs

The range will include a basic club dance wheelchair for beginners and amateur level through to custom and top of the range Elite wheelchairs.

Roma said “It is with great enthusiasm that we announce our entry into wheelchair dance thanks to Paula Moulton and Gary Lyness of Strictly Wheels! As the UK’s top wheelchair dance couple, their expertise is vital in developing a chair fit for taking centre stage.

Working with Britain’s best is an incredible opportunity for us to expand our product range to include wheelchair dance, a sport that everyone can enjoy. Their expertise and direction during the process of designing a chair for Paula have resulted in a great partnership and, we look forward to making a success of the sport with them in the future!”

Roma have sponsored Gary and Paula with a brand new, fully custom built chair for top level competitive Para Dance Sport.

Paula says, “Working with Roma Sport has opened up a new realm of possibilities for me. The fitting process and knowledge of the staff have made it a collaborative experience. From the first fit, they have listened to, rather than told me what I need.”

“The technology of the measuring system is revolutionary, finding the optimal fit catered specifically to my needs. I’m already able to do turns that I was told would not be possible due to the nature of my disability. Having a bespoke chair has given me the freedom of movement and the ability to take dance further. I cannot wait to compete in it!”

Paula’s bespoke chair will be making it’s first appearance at MoveIt!

Club Dance Wheelchair

Gary added “It’s fantastic now to be able to have an entry level wheelchair suitable for dancing that will be affordable.  Currently the only real option has been a bespoke chair which is very expensive for anyone starting out or just dancing socially.  This will hopefully make wheelchair dance more accessible to more people in the UK.”

The new range of entry level club chairs will be available in 3 sizes and will be available directly from Roma very soon.

Roma manufacture everything on site here in the UK, so it’s a truly Made in the UK wheelchair which makes it faster to produce both club chairs and custom and elite bespoke chairs.

They have a pioneering Contour Body Mapping measuring system for the ultimate fit.

Strictly Week 1 either sees dancers explode through and show us all that they have the flair, discipline and control to learn the many dances thrown at them over the coming weeks, and for others to demonstrate glimmers of technique that will grow and take over from the personalities to win through or simply those that aren’t natural dancers and no amount of training will get them there!

We definitely saw many dancers this year explode onto the floor for their first time with exceptional performances.

Latin was the star of the first week.  Gregg, an athlete; who sometimes struggle to let their highly trained bodies and muscles go and allow dance to take over, nailed his first dance with personality and the starting signs of gaining technique.  Others to shine were Danny who certainly fired up the floor with the snap needed in cha-cha – just loosen up the ankles and he’ll go even further.  Louise unsurprisingly pulled off a great jive with personality and flair with good kicks and flicks; it will be interesting to see her in other dances.

Middle of the pack was that very memorable performance from Judge Rinder!  Who knew what lay beneath those robes!?  There is rhythm there and bags of personality, it just all needs taming and reining in and he’ll survive for several more weeks.  Melvin’s loco fell flat unfortunately but he has character to keep him in.

There’s always high expectation on gymnasts even though the skills are very different, however, take away Claudia’s back flips and split leaps and she needs to let go and let the rhythm take control, similarly Anastacia showed some promise but lacked the attack she shows in her own stage performances.

Tameka showed promise with a first Paso carried through with her acting skills but not sure how she will excel in other dances.  Laura failed to deliver other than in personality with very loose legs and control for her cha-cha.

Ballroom didn’t fair too badly either, particularly with the waltzes where you can’t rely on energy and persona to carry it off.  It was nice to give the more senior celebs the waltz in week 1 to ease them in with Ed giving a sure and steady performance but Lesley certainly needed Anton to lead and guide her around the floor.

Daisy showed great promise with her emotional waltz full of control and nice extensions.  Will Young (apart from showing off his strange wardrobe of shorts in his VT), gave a great tango with good character, the steps are all there and if he learns to add more control to every inch of his limbs he’ll go far.

Naga gave a solid performance and shows promise with good lines and extension, there is a glimmer there that she might shine, particularly in ballroom, there’s a reminiscence of Susannah Reid there.  Ore unfortunately lacked the drive and attack needed for tango but might fare better in some of the freer Latin dances.

So we’ve a very mixed bag again this year!  There are those who obviously have the talent and ability to dance and the few who won’t make it.  We prefer though to see those middle of the road dancers get to grips with steps over the coming weeks and start to excel and they are usually the dark horses to keep your eye on.

Predictions after week one?  We’ll keep those under our hats just now until we’ve seen the celebs tackle another dance in the other discipline of ballroom or Latin!

All photo credits BBC1 Strictly Come Dancing/Facebook.

It always seems difficult to be healthy and active while on the go.

This week has been really hectic, it’s seemed like there are not enough hours in the day! I’ve been working, doing some home improvements and looking after a friend’s horse.

As I was dashing from one thing to another, listening to my stomach rumble, I was left wondering what on earth I was going to conjure up for dinner. I had not had time to do my weekly shop and I had a few eggs, some left over chicken, an onion, a bit of cheese and some tomatoes!

It’s times like this that it’s so tempting to call in at the take away on the way home, so what can you throw together with just a few ingredients in the fridge?

I decided to go with an old favourite…the omelette!  I love eggs, they are so versatile you can fry them, poach them, scramble them, boil them and with a few extra ingredients the list goes on and on!! Omelettes are really easy to make and all you really need is a frying pan and a spatula. The best thing is that you can put almost anything in them and they are great for using up leftovers.

What to eat

If you want a super simple and quick meal eggs are the answer! Here’s some links to some super simple, yummy egg recipes that you can use for lunch or dinner.

Pizza Omelette

Anytime Eggs

Spicy Tiffin Eggs

Muffin Frittatas

Tomato, Avocado and Egg Salad

Fitness

Oh my goodness as with my fitting in time to cook it has been a challenge to find time to go to the gym and it can be so easy to let good habits like exercising or eating well slip, but there are only so many hours in the day, what should we do?

Exercise Tip 1: Plan

If you know you have a busy week ahead plan ahead, are there times when you can fit in the exercise that you like to do?  This might mean getting up a bit earlier one day or changing the day that you normally exercise or doing the activity for a shorter time, if you are meeting friends can you join them slightly later etc.

Exercise tip 2: Do what you can

Something is (almost) always better than nothing, depending on your level on mobility/fitness are things that you can do in your own home…bicep curls are an example, you can do them with no weight or with a tin of beans, wrist weights or dumbbells (hand weight).

Exercise tip 3: Do something you enjoy

It’s much easier to find the time to do ‘exercise’ if it doesn’t feel like exercise….do something you enjoy!  Wheelchair dance is a great way to meet new people and get some exercise at the same time!

Wheelchair exercise and healthy eating

For lots of people wheelchair exercise and healthy eating can be daunting or they don’t know what they ‘should’ eat to be healthy.  In this blog series I’ll give you some simple hints and tips.

Tip 1: What to eat.

• Eat breakfast, it’s an easy meal to skip, but we can all take 5 minutes to eat! For a super simple breakfast try having some natural yoghurt with some fresh fruit.

Tip 2: How to cook.

• Use a slow cooker, so long as you can chop some veggies/meat you can make some great tasting food. Check out the recipe idea below.

Exercising

 Wheelchair users with manual chairs will do a lot of pushing motions which work the chest and shoulder muscles, this can mean that back muscles can become weaker.  Paralyzed Living shows some gym based wheelchair exercise that can help.

Many of the exercises in the video you could practice at home either using no weight or using a tin of tomatoes (or similar) instead of a dumbbell.  Make sure you listen to your body when performing any kind of exercise – it should not be painful.

Warning: Remember before you start or change your exercise program speak to your doctor.

If you’re thinking of trying something new, wheelchair dance is a great way to meet new people and get some wheelchair exercise at the same time!

Recipe

Slow cookers can be used to make some super simple and super tasty meals!!  Here is one of my favourites!

Slow Cooked Chicken

What you’ll need

• A slow cooker
• A tin opener
• A knife
• A tablespoon
• A plate
• 2 forks
• Measuring jug

Ingredients

(tbs=Tablespoon)

• 600g chicken (breast is easiest)
• 1 tin tomatoes
• 1 tin Kidney beans
• 1 red onion chopped
• 1-2 cloves of garlic
• 1-2 tbs of smoked paprika
• 1-2 tbs mixed herbs
• 1tbs ground cumin
• 300ml water
• 1 chicken stock cube
• Salt and pepper

How to make it

Step 1: Turn on the slow cooker, on High.

Step 2: Chop the onion (use a grater if you struggle to chop an onion) and garlic.  Measure out the water.

Step 3: Put all the ingredients (add the chicken breasts whole) in to the slow cooker and put the lid on – when adding the herbs and paprika start with 1 tbs and add more half way through cooking if desired.

Step 4: Cook for 2 hours (adjust seasoning and paprika/herbs after an hour)

Step 5: Take chicken breasts out and place on a large chopping board or plate and shred the chicken with two forks (should look a bit like pulled pork)

Step 6: Put the chicken back in the casserole dish and stir well – you can continue to cook on low heat to further develop flavour or serve it up.

Step 7: If you are preparing ahead divide into portions, allow to cool and place in containers for fridge or freezer.

Healthy Eating

For lots of people cooking is daunting and in this mini series I’m going to give you some super simple recipes for healthy eating and some top tips to make cooking easier.

Tip 1: What to eat.

• Include protein in every meal for healthy eating. Protein isn’t just for body builders, we all need it and a lot of us don’t get enough.  Optimal sources of protein are meat, fish and dairy as they are what’s know as complete proteins, which means they have all the essential amino acids your body needs. For vegetarians there are few complete protein sources (quinoa, buckwheat and Quorn are a few examples), so eat a wide variety of foods to make sure you get in all the amino acids.
• Protein is great not only because it’s the building blocks of our bodies, it also helps us to feel full for longer.

Tip 2: How to cook.

• Chopping up onions can be difficult, use a grater instead and in you have difficulty using a grater you can use the grater attachment in a food processor.

Exercising

Exercise doesn’t mean that you have to go to the gym, the important thing is to start moving and to find something that you enjoy.

If you are just starting out then keep things simple and start with some exercises you can do at home, YouTube can be a good source of exercise ideas, this video from Physical Therapists, Bob Schrupp and Brad Heineck is just one example.

If you’re thinking of trying something new, wheelchair dance is a great way to meet new people and get some exercise at the same time!

Warning: Remember before you start or change your exercise program speak to your doctor.

Recipe

I said eat protein with every meal so instead of reaching for the cereal box in a morning here’s a super simple of alternative that takes a couple of minutes to make.

Scrambled egg on toast

What you’ll need:

• A toaster (or use a grill)
• A bowl
• A frying pan
• A wooden spoon
• A fork

Ingredients

• Some butter
• 2 slices of bread
• 3 eggs
• Salt and pepper
• A dash of water (or milk)

How to make it

Step 1: toast the bread.

Step 2: while the toast is in the toaster crack the eggs into the bowl.

Step 3: using the fork whisk the eggs up so that the white and yolk are well mixed together. Add a little salt, pepper and a dash of water (or milk) and mix.

Step 4: when the toast is done, butter it – try to avoid using margarine – or leave dry.

Step 5: put the frying pan on the hob on a medium heat, melt a nob of butter (about a teaspoon) and use the wooden spoon to spread it around the pan.

Step 6: pour the egg mix into the frying pan and stir …make sure that you hold the handle of the pan while you do this. The eggs will cook very quickly, when the get to a consistency you like then off the heat and use the wooden spoon to put the eggs top of the toast.

Tip: To make this even better add some smoked salmon on top of your cooked eggs.

Smoked salmon is a great addition because not only will it increase the protein content, which will help you feel full for longer, it also a great source of omega (check which ones) which is essential nutrient.

Disabled Daredevils airs on Channel 4 on Tuesday 30^th August 2016 at 11.05pm and features one of our founders, Paula Moulton.  Here’s her story of how she got involved.

“If you’re told often enough you can’t do something you will start to believe it.  It’s time though we start to focus on ability and normalise disability”

Roll back to December 2014 when I had a random request to speak to someone about an upcoming documentary on extreme sports. This seemed a bit odd as I’ve never considered wheelchair dance sport “extreme”, other than the odd time you might fall out of your wheelchair from time to time or Gary has slipped and accidentally kicked me on the head – but you can hardly call that extreme!

I was then asked “if you were allowed to do any extreme sport what would you like to do?”.  My response was downhill mountain biking that was all, although there’s things that I know I wouldn’t be able to do like bungee jumping and skydiving as I’ve been told “you can’t” in the past.

Roll forward to August 2015 and suddenly I was meeting up with a group of strangers, all with various physical disabilities, for a week-long adventure doing extreme sports – but the scariest thing was, none of us had any idea what sports were going to be thrown at us!

The challenges

It was a challenge in itself getting 8 people all with different needs to the same location for the same time, complete with multiple wheelchairs, hoists, walkers, spare limbs and of course our Pas, never mind a film crew with all their kit!

The gang assembled were; a mouth painter called Bazza, actors Jenna and Kain, wheelchair fitness instructor Kris, model and campaigner Gemma, Motocross fanatic Billy, football and travel mad Caroline and me – a wheelchair dancer and campaigner.

So what did they have planned for us, how would we do these things, had our GPs and consultants signed our permissions?  So often there’s so much red tape and health and safety issues it’s not worth the pain of even attempting extreme sports.

The first day found us being swung on a giant swing over a quarry then zip wired over the flooded quarry to finish jumping (or being thrown) in for a swim!

Quickly we all realised that some things were becoming common…lots of body harnesses, wetsuits and the prospect of a week of early starts!

More sports followed throughout the week with water skiing, bungee jumping and the final big challenge – a freefall skydive!

Personally, for me, the challenge that terrified me the most was the bungee jump.  I didn’t in a million years expect that I’d be allowed or able to do it.  How wrong could I be!  My consultant signed me off with the message “Don’t worry if you break yourself we can mend you!”  Whilst giving me confidence that it wasn’t going to kill me I was still terrified being hoisted up in a cradle over Bristol Quayside to be dropped on a big rubber band!

But, I did it!  With lots of encouragement from the gang below I was bouncing around on the end of the bungee rope.  It was an awesome experience, and so happy I did it, but it’s one that I wouldn’t repeat, unlike the sky dive which I can’t wait to do again!

Despite the extreme sports and the efforts the teams went to so we could take part, we came down to earth with a bump when ironically we could not get in to a restaurant one night (even though it was booked as a party with several wheelchair users) – their idea of a ramp was a flimsy piece of wood with a step on the other side of the doorway!

Being Normal

Actually the whole week was pretty ’normal’.  We took part in adrenaline sports, made new friends, had a few drinks, danced, played silly games, shared stories and swapped tips dreams and desires.  All pretty normal things for time away on any break, the only difference was our bodies.  However, we all had something else in common, that we were beginning to feel we could conquer anything!

Sometimes the world can be unforgiving and you can get bogged down in the day to day things, whether it be issues with care or getting around and facing access needs.  This trip reinforced that we can do it.

It’s always a bit of a downer when people say you can’t do that or call you “inspirational” because you’ve got on a bus on your own – sorry, but I’ve been doing that for years, just like you.  I think you get blinkered by society treating you as an inspiration for the slightest little thing and you forget sometimes that you truly do do things that are inspirational.

Now being called inspirational because you’ve skydived or bungee jumped; I think we could all accept that.

What the week did make several of us realise, was not to let other people’s perceptions of what you can and can’t do define you.  And a simple thing that it is okay to need more support and that accepting that support does not make you less able, it helps you focus your energy on the things that matter.

The Future

Would I be one of the “Disabled Daredevils” again?  Yes, in an instant!

Words cannot explain what this trip meant to me. I think we all went home and slept for a week and had bruises on bruises, but it was so worth it.

There are extreme activities I still want to do – including winter sports, even though I hate the cold!  I also like the idea of bigger zip wires and downhill adaptive mountain biking.  In honesty, I want to push my limits while I can!

Most importantly I want to do this for me.  I no longer feel the need to qualify to anyone else whether I’m an “inspiration” or not.

Main photo credit: Richard Ansett/C4

Whether local or national, rail is a simple way to get from A to B without the stress of driving or flying and like all other travel it’s best if you do some preparation before your journey (but much less than flying!).  Here’s our tips on Wheelchair train travel.

Cost

Rail travel in the UK can be relatively inexpensive by combing offers and the use of rail cards. For example, the Disabled Adult Railcard firstly gives you a discount, and then allows for a second person to travel at the same rate.    This discount is currently 1/3 off. Booking online is easiest to get the best available fares and pick up tickets at the station.

If you are a wheelchair user and stay in your own chair for the journey you automatically qualify for a discount without having a railcard, but this is only on Anytime fares (these are the highest fares) and only available in person at the station.  So it is worth buying a Railcard if you travel more than 3-4 times a year.

Non Railcard Discounts available on adult Anytime fares*

First Class / Standard Single or Day Single or Return         34%

First Class / Standard Day Return                                             50%

*Sometimes it may be cheaper to buy an undiscounted Off-peak or Advance ticket.

*Correct at August 2016

Booking Assistance

Assistance can be arranged from the taxi rank to the train in one phone call, and at your destination they will make sure you are taken to the appropriate pickup point in the station.  Assistance, in theory, can be arranged for nearly every manned station and some unmanned stations within the UK, but in some rural stations the support can be more hit and miss.

If you are buying your tickets with Virgin Trains you can simply phone the Assistance Team direct and purchase your ticket and book assistance in one step.  With other companies, buy your ticket online and then phone and book assistance from the relevant train company’s Assistance Team.

What you need to know

They will ask you a series of questions such as how you plan to arrive and leave the station?  If you need assistance from the taxi rank/drop off point?  Will you need the ramp to board the train?  Will you be travelling in your wheelchair?  That’s really it.

When you arrive at the station you either meet the staff at the designated spot of make yourself known to a member of staff and they will make sure you get on the train.

On the train

It’s always useful to get the train manger to phone ahead to your destination station to make sure that they know you are coming.  Mistakes do happen so it’s also useful to have a mobile phone on you. The accessible wheelchair spaces on the trains are usually by the accessible bathrooms.  These bathrooms are usually snug, not as tight as on a plane but certainly not big enough for a hoist or someone to be easily able to assist you, so plan ahead.  You can however easily get an average manual or power chair in.

Refreshments – bring your own unless you know there is a trolley service or you are travelling with a companion.  The buffet car can be far away and the aisles are not wheelchair accessible for you to get down the train.  Some train managers will be helpful enough and go for you.

Equipment

You can travel in manual, or most power wheelchairs or with most walking aids/frames.  It’s best to check with individual train companies about Scooters as they vary in size and don’t always fit in the wheelchair space or can be too big/heavy for the ramps.

Who you going to call?

Booking Assistance – Book online with Virgin or for all companies

Phone numbers for the train companies can be found here.

Is flying as a wheelchair user really the horror that people say?

We’ve all heard the bad stories about flying when you use a wheelchair, however is it really that bad?  Can the horror of flying be avoided and how do you do your best to make sure you, and your wheelchair, arrive in one piece at your destination?

Preparation is the key and starts before you book your flight – make sure you know the following:

1. Dimensions of your wheelchair – height, width (and the same if it folds)
2. Weight of your wheelchair
3. If you use a power chair the type of batteries and how to disconnect them

Why do you need to know this before you fly – simply – if your wheelchair doesn’t fit in the luggage hold or allocated space in the cargo hold of the type of aircraft on that route, your chair cannot travel.  Be aware though that sometimes aircraft do get changed but the airline will be responsible here as that is out of your control.  The airline website should tell you the aircraft type generally used for that route and you can use websites such as FlightAware to check this too for all airlines.

Booking the flight is the easy part –  simply book your flight online or with travel agent as anyone else would.

Book Assistance

Some airlines ask during the booking process if you require Special Assistance and complete the details during your booking, others will prompt you to call a dedicated number to book assistance and it’s advisable to do this as soon as you book.  They will ask for the information about your chair that you have prepared and what type of assistance you need.

This is based on how much you can walk and ability to transfer.  All airlines use the same three codes and it’s worth knowing these and which you fit in to, if you are not sure, ask the airline.  There are also many other codes for other types of disability assistance.

WCHR – Passengers who can ascend and descend steps and move in the aircraft cabin but who require a wheelchair for distance to/from the aircraft.

WCHS – Passengers who cannot ascend and descend steps, where the wheelchair is required to/from the aircraft and the passenger must be carried up/down the steps but is able to make their own way to/from cabin seat.

WCHC – Passengers who are completely immobile and require a wheelchair to/from the aircraft and must be carried up/down the steps and to/from their cabin seat.

When you book assistance, this is also the time to tell the airline if you are taking an additional piece of mobility equipment, which you are entitled to in the EU, free of charge.  Again you will need to give them the dimensions and weight of the equipment to make sure if fits in the hold.

What if you need to take bulky medical equipment, feeds or lots of medication?

Advise the airline – they may ask for a letter from your GP or consultant.   They will need to know what you are taking, its dimensions, weight and how it needs to be transported (in the cabin or hold) and should give you a free baggage allowance to transport this.

If you are travelling for a longer period of time, speak to your supplier as they may be able to deliver direct to your destination but give them plenty of notice.

Top Tip: Always keep enough medication your hand luggage to cover you for at least a couple of days with a copy of your prescription just in case luggage goes missing.  Always keep medication in its original packaging.

Prepping your wheelchair for its journey

• Top Tip: Photograph your chair – take a few snaps from different angles so that you can compare if the worst happens and your chair gets damaged. This includes taking photos of it in its “packaged” state.
• Insure your chair – make sure your wheelchair is fully covered for flying and for worldwide travel. Specialist insurer Fish Insurance who sponsor all our insurances can help with this.
• Pack it up – there are many travel bags out there that will hold your chair and wheels together and pad it, but otherwise simple things like pipe lagging taped onto frame to give some padding is just as effective.
• Bits and bobs – make sure anything that comes off, comes off or is secured. Don’t risk the chance of losing a bit of your chair if it’s loose/removable – it could come off in the hold never to be seen again.  Top Tip: Take your cushion into the cabin too so it doesn’t get lost.
• Some long haul flights on larger aircraft will accommodate your wheelchair in the cabin.

Cross Check

A week before your flight, give the airline assistance a call to confirm they have your correct assistance booked and ask for confirmation by email if possible (or note the exact date/time of the call as the airlines normally record calls).  Why? We’ve had a few times when assistance has been booked but on arrival at the airport there has been no record of it.  It will also help to speed up check in.

At the Airport

Check the airport website about assistance from the car park to check in – some airports offer this or have an assistance button at the drop off area.

At the airport head to check in as usual.  Confirm the assistance booked and always ask the airline for your wheelchair to be “Delivered to Aircraft” and if they have a tag for that to attach it to your wheelchair as well as the usual baggage tag.  This means your wheelchair should be waiting for you at the door of the aircraft when you arrive to transfer back in to.

Remember, you still have the same security checks and liquid rules to deal with.  Top Tip: Pack all your medication in a separate bag and have plenty of clear bags to put any liquid medication in to be scanned.  Don’t forget to check those under chair pouches for any random things you carry around that they aren’t left in there.

You will likely be “patted down” where possible as you can’t be x-rayed in your wheelchair!  Don’t be alarmed if they also take swabs around your wheelchair or even from around a leg bag just to check there is nothing untoward in there.

You should be boarded first so be at the gate in plenty of time, if assistance are taking you there they will make sure you are on time.  You may be boarded using an Ambulift if the aircraft is not at an actual air bridge at the gate – simply a big lift that can drive around the airport and take you to the airplane.  You will have to transfer to an aisle chair – a narrow wheelchair with strapping that fits down the aisle of an airplane.  When you are in our seat, keep an eye out down below as you may be able to see you chair being loaded in to the hold.  This will reassure you that your wheelchair is on the plane and will be with you at the other end.  Always a good feeling.

On arrival hopefully your chair will arrive at the plane door undamaged and you will be able to remove the packaging and get on and enjoy your holiday.

If the worst happens and your chair arrives looking like a clown car with wonky wheels inform the airline immediately – take photos of the damage too.  It will be reported through the baggage handlers.  Unfortunately, it does happen from time to time but rarely is a chair damaged that badly that it cannot be used on a temporary basis.  If the worst happens try and hire a chair, or for minor damage often a local bike shop can help!  Try not to panic. I once survived ten days, having broken my frame on the first day of the holiday by bumping down a curb, by the use of two spanners as splints and lots of duct tape!

The airline should cover any damage through its insurers and would usually pay the repair company/manufacturer direct.  If the worst happens and your chair is beyond repair, the airline should replace it like for like.  There is a loophole with a cap on compensation, however, you should fight against this as it’s not just a piece of baggage, it is your means of mobility.  I’ve never had an issue in getting expensive custom chairs replaced.

Remember, problems can happen but deal with them calmly, there is no point getting angry and the more you travel the more routine it will become.  Hopefully, these simple tips will help you be prepared and most of all – Enjoy your trip!

We continue our travel blog season with information about staying in hotels as a wheelchair user.

You fancy a break away, a countryside hotel a city break or maybe a trip to the sun but you need accessible accommodation, what questions should you ask to make sure what they are saying is true.

Firstly, check the location – do you really want to have to navigate a steep hill in order to access the hotel we all know it’s not too bad going one way but the other can be anything from exhausting to downright impossible!  If the whole area is hilly is that going to be an issue, could you or your chair cope and how are your fitness levels?  You are going on a break after all, not boot camp!

So, you’ve found the area, now the hotel.  What is it that you absolutely need and what is that you would like. Make a list – for example, if an accessible bathroom and step free access is a must there are several ways you can check this.  Do they provide a shower chair and what sort is it? It pays to check as it removes some of the stress when you get there. Googling or searching TripAdvisor for images for the outside and inside of the hotel can be useful.

Do you require a hoist, if so, check that it can go under the bed and check the height of the bed is suitable for your needs too.

As a rule of thumb always contact the hotel direct to ask questions. If using a travel agent that doesn’t specialist in accessible holidays, ask them to check the gazetteer but still phone or email the hotel direct yourself.

Once you have checked that the essential things are okay then you can go for the ‘likes!’ – the infinity pool, spa treatments or the best in-house dining experience.

Remember you can take two pieces of mobility equipment with you if you are flying with European airlines, but it is worthwhile knowing that in many places you can hire equipment such as hoists and just taking your own slings with you.  Similarly, if you use feeds and catheter supplies these can sometimes be delivered to a hotel abroad for you by your supply company depending on location. Speak to you delivery company for further information,

It can be daunting choosing a hotel for the first time but it does get easier. Mistakes can be made however there are always little hacks that can help such as:

• if your wheelchair won’t fit through bathroom door – ask hotel to take the door off!
• a plastic garden chair is a great substitute shower chair
• always ask for extra towels and pillows on arrival so it’s not last thing at night when you realise you need more -let’s face it – we go through more towels than average!
• don’t be afraid to ask the hotel move furniture take it out of the room completely so you can manoeuvre around the room.
• Ask the local hotel staff for advice about local accessibility

Remember the more homework you do the more informed you will be. As you become more experienced in travel planning you will do things automatically. For example, while travelling solo there are certain hotel chains we would not stay in as the fire doors are too heavy to open. On the other hand, there are others that we would stay in worldwide that we wouldn’t feel the need to even ask questions as we know they have a universal room plan. This knowledge comes with time and it’s different for each person due to individual access needs.

The most important thing though is when you get there to be able to finally enjoy yourself and relax.

Holiday season is upon us, so here is our quick guide to holidays as a wheelchair user.

Travel as a wheelchair user can be interesting and fun but being prepared is the key. Do your homework on where, how to get to and stay at your chosen destination. Your first trip abroad can be daunting but is totally doable!

We have travelled all over the world and extensively in the UK. Here are some of our top tips.

Choosing your destination…okay it’s not just the beaches and nightlife; is it hilly, proximity to airport, hospitals, restaurants etc. – you don’t need to know everything however its best to know if the town is on a steep slope. Do you want to get on the beach or swim in the sea – many European and Worldwide coastal resorts now have beach and aquatic wheelchairs available to hire or use free of charge.

When looking for accommodation, many people ask what questions do you need to ask.

• If travelling by plane or train book assistance as far in advance as you can and always confirm again a week before travel. If you are flying, you can take two pieces of mobility equipment with you free of charge (Some non EU airlines may differ).
• The same goes for resort transfers – wheelchair accessible transfers are now quite common but you need to check this early on if this is essential for you and if there are additional charges.
• Location of the hotel – is it at the top/bottom of a slope. Remember what some people class as a slight slope you might think is really steep. Google (and Google Maps) is good for more information. There are lots of online forums so ask other wheelchair users for their recommendations.
• Are there any steps in the hotel, public/garden areas or are there ramps (and how steep are they – you’d be amazed at some country’s ideas of ramps!).
• Are there wheelchair accessible rooms. Always ask the width of doors to the bathroom and balcony. Is it a level access shower or a bath? Is a shower chair provided? Don’t be afraid to email the hotel and ask for photos – don’t always rely on what your travel agent tells you (unless you are using a specialist travel agent for accessible holidays).

Whether you are travelling near or far it’s also a good idea to take some basic repair equipment with you – puncture repair kit, duct tape, allen keys and a spanner – it’s amazing what you can repair with these key items.

If possible, download the manual for your equipment to your smart phone just in case. This could be as important as having copies of prescriptions stored on your phone. If you use more bulky medical equipment such as catheters or feeds speak to your delivery company – they can sometimes arrange delivery to destinations for you.  Suitcases that have 4 wheels will make moving them easier.  Just be aware and keep your money and valuables safe and in front of you.

Always have Travel Insurance. You never know when you might need it. Insurance is not just about falling ill, it also covers things like missing flights and damage and loss of personal belongings. Our Travel Insurance Sponsor Fish Insurance is a specialist disabled insurance provider and will ensure existing conditions are covered.

We’ve had many fantastic trips abroad and visited great places but the key is to relax and be prepared to do things a different way. We have always found local people happy to help and have often learnt so much from these encounters.

So, don’t be afraid of travelling abroad embrace it and have fun.

Wheelchair Dancing involves keeping fit and healthy, so we asked one of our Trustees, Caroline, a qualified nutritionist, What is healthy food?

I was in my canteen at work the other day and looked at the healthy options, looking back at me was jelly…wow wow wow, since when is jelly a healthy option?!?  Would you pick up the jelly thinking it’s a healthy option?  What is healthy food?

Aren’t we all trying to be a bit more “healthy”? But have you ever asked yourself what does that really mean?? So many things sell themselves as “low fat” so is fat bad? Low carb diets are all the all the rage, so carbohydrates (carbs) bad, aren’t they? Someone told me too much protein bad for you, should I avoid protein? It is so confusing to know what to eat!  So let me try and help…

1. Fat is not evil
2. Carbs are not evil
3. Protein is not evil

I know, given all we’ve heard over the years its hard to believe that fat is not in its spare time hanging out with Lucifer hatching plans to send us all to an early grave.  The truth is that we need fat in our diets, in fact it is critical for the health of our cells.  I’m not suggesting you go eat a bar of lard, or even half a bar, just that fat is not generically bad and there are some fats that are even known as “good fats”.

So without boring the life out of you with a lecture on what fats are ‘good’ let me give you a couple of super simple recipe ideas that might even be worthy of a healthy label!

Avocado and Prawns

This could not be simpler, all you are going to need is:

• 1 ripe avocado
• 100g cooked prawns (drain off any juice)
• 1 tablespoon of salad dressing (Newmans is a good choice)

How to make

Cut the avocado in half length ways and remove the stone.

Scoop out the avocado with a spoon and roughly chop up in to chunks

Put the avocado in a bowl, add the prawns and mix

Eat out of the bowl or serve on a plate

…add some lettuce, tomatoes or other salad if you want!

If you’re not a shell fish fan swap out the prawns for chicken, either get some cooked chicken or chop some chicken breast in to bite sized chunks and fry in a pan with a little oil over a medium heat until the chicken is white all the way through.

Baked Salmon

You’ll need:

• 1 piece of salmon per person, around 100g depending on your appetite.
• A nob of butter per person (avoid margarine if you can – it’s a whole other blog to explain why)
• 1 slice of lemon per person
• Salt and pepper
• A bag of ready prepared salad leaves
• Washed new potatoes
• a piece of tin foil
• baking tray
• saucepan

How to make

Switch on the oven at 180C

Fill and boil the kettle

Put the potatoes in a pan, cover with the boiling water and set a timer for 20 mins

Take a piece of tin foil that is about 3-4 times as big as the piece of salmon

Place the salmon in the centre of the tin foil, season with salt and pepper, put a slice of lemon and a nob of butter on top

Fold the tin foil up at the slide and scrunch together to make a parcel and put on the baking tray

Cook in the oven for about 15 mins

When the timer for the potatoes goes off, check they are cooked by sticking a sharp knife in them and then drain the water off (you can use a colander for this)

When the salmon has been in the oven for 15 mins, remove from the over (using oven gloves) and open the parcel if the salmon is cooked it will be a lighter pink colour

Serve with the salad and new potatoes.