25th August 2023
Racing Wheelchair proudly donated to The Richard Whitehead Foundation
Earlier this year Anita, our CEO and Barbara, our Founder/Fairy Godmother attended the 'Run with Rich' event held at Holme Pierrepont.
They were there supporting this amazing event, organised by The Richard Whitehead Foundation and to donate a fabulous Racing Wheelchair. This wheelchair will be given to a young person with a disability, to hopefully enable them to fulfil their sporting ambitions in wheelchair racing.
Back in 2021, Covid sadly resulted in the cancellation of a Wish from a young man to have a family holiday to Greece. Lee, who was living with Osteosarcoma, a type of bone sarcoma, mostly diagnosed in teenagers and young people, had lost his right leg. His alternative Wish for a Racing Wheelchair was granted so he could practice his racing hobby.
Tragically, Lee lost his battle with cancer aged just 20 years old in December 2021. Lee’s family were very keen that another young person benefit from the racing wheelchair and to fulfil their ambitions in sport. They have kindly donated the chair back to us for us to gift to another brave and courageous child.
Team Wish contacted The Richard Whitehead Foundation as we felt very passionate that the racing wheelchair should be used by someone with the same courage and ambition as Lee. Richard Whitehead's Foundation says:
Over the coming weeks and months, we are planning to launch a project to donate the chair to a young person with a disability, to hopefully enable them to fulfil their sporting ambitions in wheelchair racing. We then hope the chair can be passed on and on in the future to other people ensuring part of Lee’s legacy can carry on.
The donation from Lee’s family means we are able to offer a unique opportunity to a worthy recipient and we are incredibly grateful that we can do so on Lee’s behalf.
We are so proud to be part of this amazing initiative and to honour Lee's memory. We want to say a heartfelt Thank You to Lee's family and to The Richard Whitehead Foundation for carrying on Lee's legacy.
