New sports chairs add ‘wheel’ power
Two young athletes will be using the Rolls Royce of wheelchairs when they take part in the Halberg Junior Disability Games this week.
But while 20-year-old Samantha Burgham owns her nearly $5000 basketball chair outright thanks to a grant, Milly Marshall-Kirkwood, 10, has to give her track-racing machine back once the games are over.
The games, which are open to all 8 to 21-year-olds with a physical or visual impairment, are on in Auckland this weekend. Ten young people from Taranaki will be competing.
These will be the second games for Burgham, who has cerebral palsy. ‘‘I just really love the environment, being in the sporting environment, and meeting other athletes. Everyone is so nice.’’
She will be competing in a number of sports including athletics, archery, pop tennis and, thanks to support from the Halberg Foundation, which paid nearly $4000 for the new wheelchair, basketball, which is her favourite.
‘‘You can see how the wheels are tilted inwards and it’s a lot lighter and easier than my everyday chair to play in.’’
Burgham plays wheelchair basketball every week in New Plymouth. ‘‘I just love it. Just being with everyone and the competitiveness of it.’’
Milly will also have the use of a new wheelchair at the games.
The track racing wheelchair belongs to Parafed Taranaki. It cost about $5000 and was bought with a grant from the Lion Foundation.
Milly will compete in swimming, athletics, wheelchair basketball, table tennis, archery and gymnastics.
‘‘It’s fun. You get to meet lots of people.’’
Last year Milly had the longest discus – her favourite event – throw for her age group and she hit a bullseye in archery.
Milly has Marfan syndrome, which is a genetic condition that affects the body’s connective tissue, her mum, Paula Marshall, said.
‘‘Basically connective tissue is like your scaffolding that holds your joints in place.
‘‘The connective tissue that holds Milly’s joints in place is very lax and has collapsed in her feet. She has had several surgeries to try to help. It is very difficult to correct.’’
It also causes quite a significant cardiac condition and results in reduced muscle strength.
The other Taranaki athletes going to the games are: Tipene Stephens, Alyssa McCarty, Michael Swanepoel, Anton Besseling, Amy Ellis, Callum Rae, Jack Brown, and Jake Ryan.