Words by Smiley Team
A group of inline skating fans, made up of wheelchairs users and keen rollerbladers, are looking for new members and volunteers.
Wheels and Wheelchairs was founded in 2012, and meet regularly to skate around Battersea Park in southwest London.
Both skaters and wheelchair users love the rush and thrill of the sport, where speeds of up to 20mph can be reached. The group is made up of experienced rollerbladers who push members with disabilities in their wheelchairs, which have been adapted for racing, along traffic-free cycle paths and carefully chosen routes.
As well as their weekly meetings in the park the group have been on longer adventures, including roller marathons in Europe and on trips in the UK, including going from Bath to Bristol and back.
Sam Carlisle and her daughter Elvi, 19, who is a wheelchair user, are members of the group. They skate regularly through London and in 2019 they took part in the Paris Roller Marathon.
Elvi has the rare genetic disorder RCDP which means she has severe learning difficulties and cannot walk.
Sam said: "Elvi loves socialising, being outside and the sensation of speed, so this is the perfect sport for her.
“We skate every Saturday in Battersea Park, and before the pandemic started we had joined the London street skates on Sundays where over 100 able bodied and wheelchair skaters skate through the city for about ten miles.
“Skating with Wheels and Wheelchairs means I can keep fit while Elvi takes part in something she loves.
“During the Paris Roller Marathon there were three skaters pushing her chair and we travelled with another team who took part in the full marathon. It was exhilarating for both of us.”
The group’s president is Isaac Harvey, 25. Isaac, a wheelchair user, was born with no arms and very short legs.
He said: "I am proud to be part of an organisation that brings people of all abilities together and ultimately has a lot of fun.
“It is a joy to see the smiles on people's faces as we skate past them."
To learn more about Wheels and Wheelchairs and find out how to take part visit their website or follow them on Twitter or Facebook.
