Physical Activity Advisor – Pinderfields
Bret is the Physical Activity Advisor at the Yorkshire Regional Spinal Injuries Centre (Pinderfields Hospital, Wakefield, Yorkshire) is working alongside physiotherapists to introduce and encourage newly injured and previous patients to take part in different activities and sports.
Before suffering a spinal cord injury in 2006 Bret was a successful motorcycle racer, winning 130 races and 6 club championships between 2001-2006. Following the accident Bret said that it took a couple of years to come to terms with his situation but it was getting back into sport that really helped him to move forward.
“I started training in wheelchair racing in August 2009, nearly 3 years after my accident. I had my first race in July 2010, the Leeds 10k, during which I crashed pretty heavily midway through. I still made the finish with a bloodied arm and punctured rear wheel and had otherwise loved the experience. Other races soon followed, including the Great North Run, which again I really enjoyed. I did the London Marathon the next year and I began to take the sport more seriously when I got my own racing chair soon after, which I was fortunate enough to have fully funded through WheelPower’s Wheel Appeal”
Bret spent the next few years doing many races around the UK and Europe with his performance continually improving. In 2014 he tried out for Paratriathlon at a British Triathlon Talent ID weekend. Despite struggling with the swimming (as he had not swam since he was 19) they saw potential and he was offered a place in the GB Talent Squad. He started training hard and in 2016 had his first race for GB, in South Africa. Since then, he has competed several more times for GB and achieved 2 podium places at World Cup events. He also became a triple British Paratriathlon Champion in his category from 2021 to 2023.
As well as the paratriathlon Bret has continued to compete in wheelchair racing and handcycling. He has done the London Marathon 8 times and the Great North Run on 10 occasions, and he doesn’t plan on stopping any time soon!
He is a qualified Triathlon Coach, achieving Level 2 diploma coaching individuals as well as lead group sessions.
“In 2011 I got back on a motorbike through the Bike Experience charity and rode on a race circuit again, which was fantastic. I was still pretty fast too! That lead to further riding on other circuits and in 2012 and I was part of a 3-man, all-paraplegic race team, setting a world first in the process, by taking part in a 3-hour Endurance race at the Assen Grand Prix race circuit in the Netherlands. I’ve not ridden a motorbike since but the fact that I could do this again is brilliant as it’s certainly something I never thought possible after my accident.”
