Cerebra and UWTSD help young Henry prepare for ‘Winter Wonderwheels’ event powered by Marvel!

10-year-old Henry from Midsomer Norton in Somerset recently won a competition to participate in a festive sporting event with an all-star line up! ‘Winter Wonderwheels’ took place on Sunday 4^th December and is part of the Superhero Series of events, which are bold, fun & inclusive sporting challenges for everyday superheroes.

Henry competed in a 5km race alongside comedian and team captain, Adam Hills. Other celebrity captains included eight-time Paralympic equestrian champion, Sophie Christiansen and Channel 4 reporter and former wheelchair basketball star, Jordan Jarrett-Bryan.

In preparation for this festive event, Henry has been building up his stamina thanks to a set of hi-tech, super-lightweight crutches created by the Cerebra Innovation Centre; a partnership between children’s disability charity, Cerebra, and the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD). They design and build life-changing, bespoke products to help children living with a disability to break down barriers and take part in the activities they love.

Henry has Cerebral Palsy and wants to spend more time out of his wheelchair. His mum, Lara, contacted the Cerebra Innovation Centre after the difficulties she encountered trying to find an appropriate set of crutches for Henry, whose old crutches were not fit for purpose. Lara said:

‘Before we contacted the Cerebra Innovation Centre, I thought we were going backwards rather than forwards. It’s really important that Henry’s crutches can support him for longer distances, to help improve his stamina.’

This meant the Cerebra Innovation Centre had to design something that was not only super-lightweight, but also heavy-duty! Working with UWTSD colleagues; the Assistive Technologies Innovation Centre (ATiC) and the Centre for Advanced Batch Manufacture (CBM), they were able to rise to the challenge. Cerebra Innovation Centre Product Design Manager, Dr Ross Head explains:

‘To begin with, we contacted Carbon Fibre Tubes LTD, who generously provided some stunning carbon fibre tubes for the project. Our colleagues at ATiC were then able to 3D print the carbon fibre components. Collaborating with our colleagues at CBM, we were then able to source 3D printed titanium – the material they make space rockets and Formula 1 cars from! These parts are so strong and tough that it was actually difficult to finish the crutches, but we persevered and managed to produce a beautiful and functional set of crutches for Henry.’

And it didn’t take long for Henry to get used to his new crutches. Lara adds:

‘Henry took to his crutches so well. He would use them throughout the day at school, during physio and from getting from A to B. First up was getting him ready for his school sports day where he competed in his framer-runner. He was able to use it for over an hour and took part in archery, running and even hurdles! Now, it’s almost time for his 5km race!’

Further Information

For further information, please contact:

Rebecca Davies - Rebecca.Davies@uwtsd.ac.uk

Derek Spinks – dereks@cerebra.org.uk