Blesma Volunteer George and I drove down to Fareham from London to take part in Member Richard Hunt's Wheelchair Laser Tag Tournament, which was raising money for us through his upcoming challenge, The Great Paddle Round.
The day began with introductions - I met Richard's local Conservative MP for Fareham, Mark Hoban and the Mayor of Fareham, Susan Bayford. Also present were representatives from prosthetics company Otto Bock, sports therapist students from Peter Symonds College giving massages for donations, Top Gear's The Stig, Team Hybrid Handcycles, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Ambulance and a few other organisations.
I got my first go in a wheelchair - it was surprisingly manoeuvrable but I had to be careful not to tip backwards!
Once the tournament began, George and I watched a few matches from the side-lines, observing the prowess and tactics of the teams involved!
George filmed some of the action for a short film he is making about Richard and The Great Paddle Round which will follow Richard up to, during and after the challenge. George got some great shots, including an exclusive interview with Richard for the film - they chatted about how the day was going and what lies ahead for him.
In the afternoon, I was interviewed by Portsmouth radio station Express FM to tell people about what Blesma do and how Blesma support Members like Richard. This was my first media interview, and although I was nervous, I wasn’t asked any trick questions and managed to answer them all without tripping over my words too much!
The top prize for the raffle at the end of the tournament was a kayak from Tootega. They have generously also donated a kayak to Richard for the challenge.
The day raised an impressive total of £1,375 which will go towards the total for The Great Paddle Round and in turn support Blesma to carry its 100 years of legacy forward to empower injured military personnel and their dependants.
To support Richard in his challenge of kayaking around Great Britain, go to his fundraising page here.
By Bryony, Media and Communications Assistant
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