The Regain Cycling Festival at Thruxton Race Circuit

Regain Sports Charity

Regain is the only charity dedicated to improving the lives of people who have become tetraplegic in a sporting accident. Having lost the use their limbs, tetraplegics need help to perform many of the most mundane day-to-day tasks. Mobility is the major issue for many and without the use of appropriate wheelchairs and adapted vehicles tetraplegics can become trapped in their own homes. EMOTIONAL HELP Tetraplegics are as mentally alert as any able bodied person, they have all the same emotional needs and desires but their bodies have been cut off from them. In the earliest weeks after injury emotions run high and support both clinically and mentally is vital to see people through these initial periods. Only a person with a spinal injury can really explain and demonstrate to another how life can go on in spite of a severe disability. In many cases people have achieved things that they may have never dreamed possible. Recently Regain has helped four tetraplegics to compete in the Paralympic Games. Many others have been encouraged to complete a range of challenge events whilst others have been assisted in relation to employment, education and training. We have 250 tetraplegics on our database who may be able to help. Regain can help provide specialised lightweight and electric wheelchairs and electric e-motion wheels enabling those with only limited use of their arms to move themselves around. Specialist wheelchairs can be provided for those wishing to get back into sports including wheelchair rugby, basketball, tennis, cycling, etc. Very often communication is an issue and the provision of computers, including some with voice activated software, can transform not only the social but the educational and employment opportunities and aspects of the lives of tetraplegics. Over the past 25 years Regain has been able to provide help to many sports tetraplegics enabling them to undertake University, technical and vocational courses.