Kenya Cycle Challenge - 2019

Thank you for taking the time to read my short story….

My name is Gary Queen. I am a 52 years old single parent working and living in Aberdeen. Presently, I work as a helicopter pilot flying men and women offshore to the oil rigs, however for most of my 25 year career I acted as a Search and Rescue pilot operating from bases in Holland, Ireland and the UK.

This is the second time I have supported Regain - the only charity in the UK that ‘supports sports men and women who have become paralysed as a result of a sports injury’.

I initially became involved in the Charity in 2013 - by pure chance. Having read an article  in the Times and after suffering a  rush of blood to the head I headed to South Africa to complete my first ( and I thought last ) cycle challenge assisting this charity.

Initially my aim was just to complete the 400 mile course. We were accompanied by 5 tetraplegics.
Unfortunately, their electric tricycles quickly broke down in the heat and
dust. It became very clear, very quickly that my efforts paled into
insignificance when I realised not only the extent of the mental trauma,
helplessness and frustration felt on a daily basis by the tetraplegics but also the unconditional love and support given by their carers 24 hours a day. I became part of the ‘towing’ team which now gave this challenge real meaning and purpose as we strove to get all 5 tetraplegics through the 7 day challenge. We succeeded!

I am the father to a healthy 16 year old rugby player and being fit and active plays a large part in our lives - something we take for granted...

It is heart breaking when you consider that each of these
incredible people had at one time been fit and strong...   They are as mentally alert as any able bodied person, they have the same emotional needs and desires but their bodies have been cut off from them.

This charities aim is to assist these unfortunate men and
women to 'regain' some purpose in their lives and help them achieve their physical and mental goals by providing specialist wheel chairs so that they can compete in sport, computers with voice activated
software so they can undertake university, technical and vocational courses and finally support both clinically and mentally especially through the initial periods post accident. 

Regain have asked me to support their next Challenge during
October 2019, riding 400 miles through the hills of the Rift Valley,
Kenya.  I believe there will be 5 tetraplegics joining the team…

I need to raise approximately £3500. If you can help me achieve
this goal please visit my Just Giving page by clicking on the link below, and thank you! 

www.justgiving.com/fundraising/garyqueen66

Kind regards

Gary

(December 2018)

www.regainsportscharity.com