Rachel Morris is one of my very dear friends and is one of the kindest people I know, who will always go out of her way to help others.

At the age of 17 Rachel sadly had to have a double amputation, leaving her dependent on her wheelchair. In a blink of an eye Rachel's life was turned upside down.

Rachel gradually started to rebuild her life and was determined never to let her amputations hold her back. Within time there was nothing that Rachel couldn’t overcome and she began training everyday working towards her dream goal of competing in the hand-cycling Paralympics. Rachel reached her goal in 2008 winning Gold at Beijing and then winning Bronze in the road race in London 2012. Rachel, always up for a challenge then competed in rowing and went on to win a further gold medal in Rio 2016.

Since Rachel’s sporting career, she has dedicated her time to help others overcome their challenges and has taking on several volunteering roles.

It has now become very apparent that Rachel is in desperate need for a new wheelchair as her current one is nearly 30 years old and held together by cable ties, duck tape and string.

The cost of a new chair is in the region of £15,000 and to Rachel this just seems unreachable and a distant dream.

If you know Rachel, you will know she would be the first person to help you if you found yourself in a similar situation, so it would be great if we could all pull together as a community and try and help raise this money for a much-needed wheelchair replacement to enable Rachel to continue to enjoy a fulfilled life of freedom.

A donation, big or small, could make a huge difference.

Thank you so much for your kindness and support.

Collette