New sports wheelchair

My name is Ciara and I am an MS patient. At age 22 I was diasgnosed and at 24 I lost the ability to walk unaided. Since this I have been wheelchair bound. I have always been a very active person and hoped to maintain this after gaining my wheels. I tried a few new activities and fell in love with wheelchair basketball. Unfortunately, most disabled sports come with huge price tags attached and Wheelchair Basketball is no different. A new sports chair can cost around £6500. I was selected for the Northern Ireland Wheelchair Basketball Team and originally bought a second hand chair in a bid to attempt the Commonwealth Games qualifiers.

This chair has led to some excess damage over the years as it doesn't actually fit me properly, as usually they are made to measure. The damage caused has been multiple hand injuries and some skin pressure issues. For this reason, I need a new chair. My bid to make the Northern Ireland Teams this year will start soon, as will the preparation for the next Commonwealth Games. I am hopeful that I can move forward and be playing basketball for a very long time in a new chair and have it for a lifetime. My old chair will also be used at the local basketball club to help up and coming players starting out and progressing in the sport.