Inspire. Empower. Achieve.
Those were the three words which inspired the late Stuart Dunne in founding Cyclone Mobility in 1989 – and they have underpinned a partnership with the Seriously Injured Players Fund ahead of the Heartlands Handcycle Challenge which will be a major feature of next weekend’s Rugby League Cares Charity Round - On their bikes – for the Seriously Injured Players Fund.
Founded in Chester and now based in Widnes, Cyclone Mobility Lightweight Wheelchairs & Batec Power Attachments UK | Cyclone Mobility are providing the Batec electric handbikes on which a number of long-term beneficiaries of the Fund will take on a gruelling physical challenge to raise awareness of the Charity Round – from Wigan’s Thursday night fixture against Hull KR to the 1895 Cup Final on Bank Holiday Monday, taking in a dozen different clubs from Workington to Wakefield, and Huddersfield to Hull.
“We were delighted to support the challenge and the Seriously Injured Players Fund,” explained Karen Dunne, the managing director of Cyclone Mobility – and a Bradfordian whose father was a passionate Bulls supporter.
“Stuart was the most able disabled person you could ever meet – there weren’t many things that would stop him.
“In 1989 he started making his own wheelchairs, and here we are 37 years later, the leading provider of rehabilitation and mobility solutions across the UK.”
The history of the Batec handbikes is equally inspirational, the brainchild of a Spaniard called Pau Bach – with Batec meaning heartbeat in Catalonian.
Dan Atherton, Cyclone’s sales and marketing director – and a Warrington fan – added: “Stuart lived by those three words – inspire, empower and achieve. When we look at what the guys are doing – they provide the inspiration, we provide the empowerment, and then we all achieve.”
Cyclone have already supplied eight “rugby” wheelchairs to Wakefield Trinity for their fast-developing Wheelchair Rugby League operation this year – and Trinity are also playing a key role in the Charity Round Challenge, with their owner Matt Ellis and ceo Craig Barrass providing logistical support for Gittins and the other riders.
Francis Stephenson, the General Manager of the Seriously Injured Players Fund, said:
“The Rugby League Cares Charity Round will see the sport come together to support seriously injured players – and Cyclone Mobility are a key part of that team effort.
“We were fortunate that Jimmy Gittins, one of our long-term beneficiaries who has been a driving force behind this fund-raising challenge, already had an excellent relationship with Karen, Dan and the rest of the Cyclone team.
“Thanks to Cyclone, our cyclists will be riding state of the art Batec handbikes for what is going to be a seriously gruelling challenge – and we hope the Rugby League family will come out to support them, from St Helens on Thursday afternoon through Yorkshire, to Hull and Cumbria and then back to Warrington for the 1895 Cup Final on Monday afternoon.
“And we are also hugely grateful to Wakefield Trinity for their support – a classic example of the Rugby League family coming together.”
RL legend Adrian Morley is pictured testing out one of the Batec bikes provided by Cyclone Mobility, after crossing the Pennines to join Jimmy Gittins in a training session.
To show your support for the cyclists as they raise money for the Seriously Injured Players Fund, click here Seriously Injured Players Fund is fundraising for RFL Benevolent Fund