2021
Blesma Updates for 2021, covering news, activities and fundraising events for limbless veterans.
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Paralympic gold medallist retires after 11-year career
21 May 2021
Blesma Member Jon-Allan Butterworth MBE, who became the first British veteran injured in Iraq or Afghanistan to win a Paralympic gold, retired from professional cycling in December after an 11-year career. “I wanted Tokyo to be my last Paralympic Games, but when they were postponed I knew I would have to spend another 18 months sacrificing a lot of things and training in lockdown,” said the 35-year-old former RAF Weapons Technician. “It’s hard to live the Paralympic cycle life, and I realised I’d be more gutted if I committed to training an
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Members Weekend 2021
19 May 2021
Members’ weekend is a yearly occasion which offers Blesma Members a chance to come together. It’s a chance to meet old friends and make some new, share experiences and have a say on supporting Members in the future. There are also multiple activities and presentations for Members to try out and get involved with. Apply on the Blesma website When? 02-04 October 2021 Where? Chesford Grange, Kenilworth Road, Warwick, CV8 2LD After the pandemic led to the cancellation of Members’ Weekend 2020, this year we saw t
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Table tennis proves to be a smash hit for Ian
19 May 2021
In 2015, former Royal Engineer Ian Murphy was doing his 75th skydive when he was involved in an accident that led to the amputation of his right leg below the knee. In the months that followed, angry at himself and with his confidence stripped away, Ian isolated himself from everyone. “I didn’t adjust well,” said the 55 year old from Nottingham. “I shut down and refused any help. It took me 18 months after I was discharged from hospital to stop crying! I was on a very steep downward spiral and, by 2018, I’d ballooned
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Diabetes: what to be aware of
17 May 2021
Amputations are on the increase due to diabetes. A significant number of Blesma Members living with limb loss have diabetes, and this was either the primary cause or a major factor in them having amputation surgery. A recent study highlighted that the large numbers of military personnel becoming amputees through conflict or other military activity is massively outweighed by the number of veterans who have amputations due to conditions such as diabetes. Statistically however, veterans were at no more risk than the rest of the population matched for age, gender
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