Injured by the IRA, local dad of nine gears up for a bike ride across the South Downs with a military charity of his choice
24 September 2013
A Royal Anglian Private who lost both his legs and an eye to an IRA bomb at the age of 19 is counting down the days until his cycling tour of the South Downs organised by Blesma, The Limbless Veterans.
Cycling enthusiast Steve Gill, 43, lost his right leg above knee, left leg below knee and right eye when he was blown up in Belfast in 1989. A wheelchair basketball coach and a keen fitness fanatic, he lives in Cosby with his wife and six children. His oldest son, 23, now lives with his partner and children.
Steve, will participate in SR UK and join 30 other injured service men and women from the UK and the US as they set off from Windsor Castle on Sunday 6 October. The 6 day bike tour will see the riders tackle between 30 – 50 miles a day, and culminate in a ‘victory lap’ from Horse Guards Parade to the Tower of London on Friday 11 October.
Formerly known as Soldier Ride, Blesma has run the event in partnership with the Wounded Warrior Project in the US for three years now.
The riders, including many amputees with some on adapted bicycles or hand bikes, will cycle past some of the most iconic locations of military interest in South East England, including Battle Abbey, the site of the historical 1066 Battle of Hastings and Arundel Castle which was damaged in the English Civil War (now fully restored) and DMRC Headley Court – a rehabilitation centre for injured members of the British Armed Forces.
They will also pass BBC’s Top Gear test track at Dunsfold Aerodrome.
Steve says: “I have participated in SR UK from the time it started and have enjoyed it a bit more every time! It is a great way to get together with our American counterparts who have similar experiences of serious injury. This time again, I am hoping to meet some new people, exchange notes, enjoy healthy competition, have a laugh and share my passion for cycling.”
A keen wheelchair basketball player and archerer, Steve also juggles his responsibilities as a Blesma Welfare Representative in the wider Leicestershire area. This involves accompanying his Blesma Support Officer Charley Streather to meet other injured service men and women, sharing his experiences and talking about how he turned his life around.
“Blesma have been with me for over 20 years and I owe them a huge amount. Having done several activities with them – cycling, fishing, sailing and mono-skiing, they have also helped me make an application for a new and improved hand bike. I certainly could not have come this far in my recovery without Blesma!
I would like to thank Wigston Cycles, FMB Cycles and David Lloyd Leisure Centre for sponsoring me as I attempt another epic SR UK.”
The bike ride is fully risk assessed and will have medical cover. It will be supported by motorbike marshals and have adapted coaches to drive cyclists between locations. The accommodation is fully equipped for the needs of the participants.
Blesma, The Limbless Veterans is the national charity for all limbless service men and women, their widows and dependants. It was formed in the years following the First World War and became a national charity in 1932.
For more information on SR UK, please visit www.blesma.org/SR_2013
-ENDS-
Notes to Editor
Hi-res images can be downloaded from the links below
Steve Gill on his hand bike /media/66201/Steve-Gill.jpg
SR UK logo /media/66190/SRUK-logo.jpg
About Blesma, The Limbless Veterans
Blesma, The Limbless Veterans is the national charity for all limbless serving and ex service men and women, their widows and dependants. It is a membership organisation which helps wounded service men and women rebuild their lives by providing rehabilitation activities and welfare support. Their membership includes those who have lost the use of a limb, an eye or the sight of an eye.
Blesma was formed in the years following the First World War and became a national charity in 1932. Blesma today has over 4000 Members and widows. The membership consists of men and women who have served during the Second World War and the many subsequent conflicts and peacekeeping operations since, including the Falklands, Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan.
About SR UK
SR UK (Sunday 6 October – Friday 11 October) will see 30 wounded military personnel from the US and the UK come together to cycle across the South Downs. Due to their injuries, many of the riders will be on adapted cycles and hand bikes. The riders will set off from Windsor Castle and take in some iconic locations including Battle Abbey, Arundel Castle and culminate the ride in a ‘victory lap’ from Horse Guards Parade to the Tower of London.
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