Wheelchair Basketball Club Blazes a Trail for Disabled Sports

posted on Sep 09 by Kenny in the Cerebral Palsy, Disability News, Wheelchair Sports category

Two years ago, when their team based out of Bristol went under, four talented wheelchair players were left without a squad to play for. These four young men, Kelvin Jones, 29, a paraplegic, from Tewkesbury, Robert Plunton, 23, who has cerebral palsy, from Gloucester, Luke Collett, 22, who suffered brain damage as a child during surgery, from Cirencester, and Michael Wells, 23, a paraplegic from Wiltshire, would serve as the inspiration for what would become the Gloucester Blazers Wheelchair Basketball Club.

When Terry and Luke’s father’s learned that their sons would be left club-less, they wasted no time in setting out to remedy the situation. With the help of the Gloucester Blazers Basketball club, the brand new Gloucester Blazers Wheelchair Basketball Club was formed.

The Gloucester College based club rapidly grew and within a mere 2 months found it’s membership at a commendable 15 players. Today, there are no less than 30 people who participate in matches which span all across England.

The club has come quite a long way and is part of the Great Britain Wheelchair Basketball Association and has two different teams within the national league. Just recently, their third division team finished one point behind the leads of the previous season, while the fourth division came off equal first in their division.

Despite being a Wheelchair Club, the team is not comprised exclusively of disabled members. Two of the players are very much able bodied and have now acquired a great appreciation for the difficulties and challenges faced by those who are disabled.

According to Club Secretary Jean Vick, of Lydney, the club not only provides a sporting outlet for those who are reliant upon a wheelchair for mobility, but it also serves as a very welcome and refreshing social outlet for those wheelchair reliant individuals. Vick’s son 38 year old son Stacey, who became a paraplegic 2 years ago following a motorcycle accident, also plays. Her husband Leslie also serves as the chairman of the club. Vick knows all too well that without the life the club offers, many of it’s members day to day lives would consist of four walls and television screens.

Vick has high hopes for the team and has even nominated it for Senior Club of the Year, however there are other categories in which members could individually be selected for such as Disability Sportsperson Of The Year, Outstanding Services to Sport, and others as well. For a full list listing or to cast a vote, head over to www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk.