SEATED FENCING A GREAT SUCCESS AT 2024 WHEELPOWER GAMES

Our wooden seated fencing system, the ‘Sword Seat’, was a huge success at the 2024 WheelPower Inter Spinal Unit Games. 

Rick Rodgers, BF Inclusion Officer (Disability), recently attended the WheelPower Inter Spinal Unit Games with a bag of weapons and the prototype ‘Sword Seat’, our wooden seated fencing system.

The Inter Spinal Unit Games is an annual event held at Stoke Mandeville Stadium, the birthplace of the Paralympics, which brings together patients and alumni from spinal injury units across the country to try out and compete across numerous sports to win the Jean Stone Trophy.

This was a great opportunity for spinal injury patients to have a taste of seated fencing and also allowed a final test of the Sword Seat before their upcoming distribution.

Alongside our seated fencing come-try experience, the sports on offer this year included Swimming, Archery, Golf, Boccia, Wheelchair Rugby, Wheelchair Basketball, Table Tennis, Wheelchair Tennis, Para-shooting, Wheelchair Racing, Handcycling, Field Athletics and Sitting Volleyball.

This year we brought the prototype Sword Seat, our wooden seated fencing system, and plastic sword and mask sets. This made the fencing easier, quicker and safer for participants at any rehabilitation stage.

The Sword Seat was incredibly well received, with most participants happy to self-transfer into the seats and fencing comfortably. It was a great last test for the system before its upcoming rollout to clubs and stakeholders.

BF would like to thank Alice Lancaster and Kseniya Kushtan for their fantastic support. As two new coaches to seated fencing, the pair quickly picked up the necessary confidence and skills to support the participants.

These events are a great way to reach more people and introduce them to wheelchair fencing.

If you’re a coach interested in getting some more experience by supporting us at future events, please get in touch via: Member Contact Form

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