Hi,
I'm Sally and thanks for taking the time to read my story.
I'm a disabled mum who loves wheelchair rugby, and during 2021 I am planning on riding the distance of Land's End to John o' Groats (LEJOG - 1,407km) on my specialist recumbent ICE trike (in 2020 I rode 338km so this is a huge challenge). I'm doing this to fundraise for my own rugby wheelchair as the team I play for (the Berkshire Banshees) is growing and doesn't have enough chairs for all the players.
I have Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS) (as well as a variety of other conditions).
Due to POTS I can only stand for an average of 3 minutes before collapsing as my autonomic nervous system doesn't work properly (the autonomic nervous system controls all the aspects of your body you don't actively think about like breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, digestion etc so causes widespread problems). I need to use a wheelchair to leave the house and on bad days around the home.
EDS is a genetic connective tissue disorder and causes joint instability and frequent dislocations/subluxations, as well as problems with my guts, urinary, circulatory and other body systems (connective tissue is basically the glue that holds your body together so is found throughout the body causing widespread problems in EDS).
My health dramatically deteriorated, making me suddenly disabled during my second pregnancy (I have two amazing kids who are my world). This was a really hard time for me and my family, and incredibly isolating.
Nearly 2 years ago I found wheelchair rugby and refound myself, a community, and my confidence. I cannot overstate how much being part of the Berkshire Banshees has done for me and my family. Playing wheelchair rugby and being part of the Banshees has hugely benefited both my physical and mental health, and the kids love it when mummy goes CRASH!

For more information about wheelchair rugby and the need for specialised chairs see - www.berkswr.co.uk