Hi there, I’m Ant, I’m 39 and I live in North West London. As those who know me are aware, I have cerebral palsy, and I move around in an electric wheelchair. Sadly, this made my figure skating career incredibly short-lived!

As you can imagine, doing most of the simple, day-to-day movement of the body – walking, running, stretching - that people take for granted, is off limits to me. As I’m fast approaching middle age and staving off a mid-life crisis as long as I can, finding ways to move my body is ever more important to me.

One day we may live in a society which allows everyone to exercise freely and easily; sadly, London in 2025 is not such a world, and local gyms don’t have any equipment that I can use! I have a standing frame in which I stand, supported, for 20 minutes a day, but this is not really physical activity. So my physical activity is essentially limited to driving in my chair to the pub, driving back in my chair from the pub, and so on.

I have suffered a bunch of health problems over the years, not all of which doctors have fully got to the bottom of, and sitting down all day and not being able to move my body has been a big contributing factor. I was also recently diagnosed with a spinal injury – my spine is compressed in my neck, essentially – and this may require surgery. Without being able to do some form of physical therapy, the outlook for me doesn’t look good.

Where things get better though, is in some of the amazing equipment that a company called Medimotion have made. They are at the very forefront of making machines that allow people like me to do exercise. I recently was allowed to try their amazing Adaptive Exercise Bike, one of the first of their kind in the UK, and I was exercising my arms and my legs in a way I’ve never done before. Being able to use one of these would, and this is no exaggeration, completely change my life.

Sadly, they are currently quite pricey. It currently costs just over £7k. I am applying to all and any grants I can that can help me raise the money, but these are competitive and no guarantee. I would be incredibly grateful for any donation you could make, however small, it really does make a difference. And in return, I will get you a pint at the Alliance in West Hampstead.

This is the bike; https://www.medimotion.co.uk/motomed-movement-therapy/muvi/

Unfortunately, I face significant barriers accessing public facilities. Local gyms do not have the specialized equipment I need, making it impossible for me to exercise safely outside my home. Having this adaptive bike at home would allow me to exercise every day, support my long-term health, and maintain my independence.

Thank you for taking the time to read my story and for any support you can give.