Following the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games, WheelPower congratulates all the ParalympicsGB medallists who have previously attended their Inter Spinal Unit Games. Now in its 35th year, WheelPower will again be welcoming another 100 newly injured disabled people – all with recent life-changing spinal cord injuries by providing opportunities at Stoke Mandeville Stadium to discover the positive power of physical activity and sport.
Participants and 60 support staff from fourteen Spinal Injury Centres and Specialist Units across the British Isles will come together for three days of sport and activity at the birthplace of the Paralympic Movement. This event forms an integral part of many newly injured spinal cord injury patients’ rehabilitation.
Participants receive coaching and demonstrations from current leading wheelchair sports athletes and coaches in over 20 sports which include archery, boccia, golf, handcycling, table tennis, swimming, shooting, wheelchair basketball and wheelchair rugby.
The Inter Spinal Unit Games provide a brilliant opportunity for individuals with a recent spinal cord injury to discover activity and sport in a safe and welcoming environment. The Games provide participants with the opportunity to meet with people in a similar situation and share their own personal experiences about life with a spinal cord injury - Conor Harris, Sports Events & Development Officer.
We will be celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Inter Spinal Unit Games this year and, with an estimated 4,400 people injured or diagnosed with a spinal cord injury every year, they still hold an important role in the rehabilitation of people. The Games have helped thousands of people over the years and the thrill of finding something as positive as sport can be for newly paralysed people is what moves WheelPower to continue to provide this life transforming event for many more years to come - Martin McElhatton, CEO of WheelPower.
Parents, guardians, personal assistants, and clinical staff will be involved in supporting participants during activities to ensure that they get the best experience possible throughout the event.
Previous participants have commented on how the Inter Spinal Unit Games experience has noticeably improved their lives:
Carl Webster, 44 new wheelchair user from South Wales said: “I didn’t expect it to be so big! I couldn’t play table tennis when I was able to walk, but for some reason I can actually play table tennis now – thank you to WheelPower for Organising it all”.
Participants will be following in the paths of Paralympic stars such as Samantha Kinghorn and Ben Pritchard, who both took part in WheelPower’s Inter Spinal Unit Games before winning a gold medal in Paris.
About WheelPower:
WheelPower have been providing opportunities in sport for people with physical impairments for nearly 70 years. Based in Stoke Mandeville, the birthplace of the Paralympic Movement, WheelPower is at the heart of wheelchair sport.
From first-timers to Paralympic medallists, WheelPower support and promote participation at all levels. We have seen how playing sport can enrich lives, offering tremendous physical and psychological benefits, whatever your age or ability.
Each year, WheelPower supports over 100,000 disabled people to participate in sport and activity across the country. Join us in this mission as a participant, supporter or volunteer and together we can help transform lives through sport.
