2020
The Blesma News for 2020 covering news, activities and fundraising events for limbless veterans.
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Blesma at home workout
18 April 2020
Blesma Member and qualified physical training instructor Gregg Stevenson has devised a weekly home workout especially for his fellow Members, to help us keep our mind and bodies healthy during lockdown. Former Royal Engineer Gregg lost one leg above and the other below the knee after triggering an IED while on patrol in Afghanistan in 2009. During his rehabilitation he gained weight, and at the same time was looking at how he could improve his situation. It was a long road to recovery, but he decided the answer was to throw himself into f
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Back By Popular Demand! ‘Making Connections’
17 April 2020
In these times of self-distancing and self-isolation, communicating with others becomes so important to our mental health and wellbeing. “It’s been really encouraging… I feel GOOD!” - Blesma Member who took part in last week’s ‘Making Connections’ Blesma has teamed up with The Drive Project to provide you with a 3-part communication workshop to help connect you with your fellow Blesma Members, spouses and carers develop your communication skills for use on video calls (such as Facetime, Whatsapp Video Call, Skype or Zoom) and
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Chilled thrills & spills
15 April 2020
The rink at iceSheffield is alive with noise, adrenaline and action as the Sheffield Steelkings para ice hockey squad thunders across the ice on double-bladed sleds. The players propel themselves with a pair of sticks; one end spiked for gripping the ice while the other has a blade for hitting the puck. It’s quickly apparent that, much like wheelchair rugby, this is a full-contact, no-holds-barred sport that is definitely not for the faint-hearted. It’s basically murderball (as wheelchair rugby is affectionately named) but on ice. And Andrew Mead absolutely loves it
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Blesma Members support each other through COVID-19 lockdown with gardening competition
12 April 2020
Blesma Members Janet Riddell and Jack Broughton, who is a high-risk patient for Covid-19, are helping each other keep busy and active during self-isolation by starting a vegetable and sunflower competition. The two became great friends following a local activity arranged by Blesma Outreach Officer Andy Barlow in the summer of 2019, and earlier this year, Janet supported her fellow Blesma Member with regular visits when former soldier Jack, 30, was in hospital receiving treatment for pneumonia. “My whole stay at hospital, I could guarantee Jan would come in and
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