Wheelchair Rugby Road to Paralympics

Thank you for visiting my Go Fund Me page! Here is my story:

Born and raised in Plymouth, I have played Wheelchair Rugby for the West Country Hawks since August 2017. Within that time, I quickly progressed onto the GB pathway, becoming an official GB Talent player in January 2019. All whilst studying for a BSc(Hons) in Computing at the University of Worcester, which I completed in 2021, achieving a 2:1. Since leaving University, I have dedicated myself to Wheelchair Rugby with high ambitions of performing for GB in the Paralympics. This year, I have successfully made it onto the GB Elite team, where I debuted in the 2022 Canada Cup against 5 of the best teams in the world.

I’ve faced many challenges getting to where I am now in GB, from my own disability, with Quadriplegic Cerebral Palsy, I am always in some level of pain, getting out of bed some days can be a challenge in itself. Getting myself into the gym and to an Elite athlete standard has been one of the most challenging things I’ve ever done, but now I am finally reaping the rewards after putting in all the hard work.

As an insight into the costs associated with Wheelchair Rugby, bespoke (armoured) wheelchairs are required to play the sport, which start at £6,000, a chair's maintenance during a season costs approximately £75 per month. For the coming season I anticipate a cost of between £4,000 to £5,000 for travel, accommodation, and club expenses for a single season. The athlete must bear all these costs.

I am also raising money to purchase a new bespoke manual day chair that will help me get around pain-free and is sturdy enough to travel around the world with me.

All donations are greatly appreciated, and I fully encourage you to follow my story on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LukeRugby7560 or Instagram: Collier_Luke

Please join me on my journey to achieving my Paralympic dream!