Brilliant effort as wheelchair team complete course
A charity team made their way around the Stirling marathon pushing a specialist wheelchair.
Stirling Council site manager for new builds Thomas O’Brien and housing officer Gillian Findlay ran Sunday’s marathon for JAPES, a charity which allows children and adults with mobility problems to experience the excitement and camaraderie of taking part in a large scale running event.
Sunday was the charity’s first time participating in a marathon. Four people with conditions such as cerebral palsy were given the opportunity to ride in the Joelette, a specialist designed wheelchair, through a series of changeovers along the 26.2 mile route.
Thomas was part of the 11-man crew pushing the chair. He described the experience: “It was a brilliant course, the crowd’s reaction was amazing. It was really hard work so we were delighted to complete the course in under six hours.”
JAPES founder Nelson Liddle said that the charity would definitely be returning next year.“It was absolutely fantastic, the support from the people of Stirling was amazing. We will definitely be back next year and are always looking for volunteer pilots to help out.”
If you would like to help the charity raise funds for a second chair, donations can be made at www.justgiving.com/ crowdfunding/japes2017