to different degrees of scoliosis. The inclination of each ribcan be adjusted and, being made ofaluminium, can be curvedeasily to provide a perfectfit. The back surface can befurther customised with achoice of limited editioncolours or designs.

Available in four sizes, Tarta backrests providethe right solution to fulfil most seating needs.

The World’s Best Mobility and Seating SolutionsNews from Gerald Simonds

Suppliers of the World’s Best Mobility and Seating Solutions

Gerald Simonds Healthcare Ltd.9 March Place, Gatehouse Way

Aylesbury, Bucks HP19 8UATel: 01296 380200

email: info@gerald-simonds.co.ukwww.gerald-simonds.co.uk

ALBER / HANDICARE / JAY / KUSCHALL / LEVO / KYMCO / PROACTIV / QUICKIE / STIMULITE / TARTA / TILITE / VICAIR..

ALBER / HANDICARE / JAY / KUSCHALL / LEVO / KYMCO / PROACTIV / QUICKIE / STIMULITE / TARTA / TILITE / VICAIR..

Join us on Facebook and Twitter.Follow us by going to the links on our website

LIGHTWEIGHT WHEELCHAIRS

POWERCHAIRS

STAND UP WHEELCHAIRS

COMFORT WHEELCHAIRS

POWERDRIVES

DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS

WHEELCHAIR SEATING

PRESSURE AREA CARE

SCOOTERS

SIA WHEELCHAIRMASTER CLASSES

TheSPOKESMAN

TARTA - BACKS TO THE FUTUREThe new Tarta® ergonomic back system, distributed by

Gerald Simonds, is a modular system designedto adapt to and improve the posture of allthose who need to sit for a prolonged periodof time. Designed and built by experts in

postural optimisation, with an Italian eye fordesign, Tarta offers the most adaptable seatingsolution available, with the minimum of simple,robust components. They can easily be mounteddirectly to most wheelchairs.

The spring steel column linking the vertebrae retainsa memory of its original position during every

day stresses and strains, giving the wholeback flexibility and strength. This centralcolumn acts as a spine to which the desired

number of adaptable aluminium ribs areattached. Softly padded cushions in different shapes

and sizes are then added, using velcro fastenings, togive optimised customisation and make every Tarta backunique. The cushion pads are covered in breathable andwashable fabric, for long term comfort.

With the Tarta system it is possible to adjustthe inclination of each individual vertebra, thus adapting

THIRTY YEARS ON!

involved. It will definitely change people’s attitudetowards disability. One little boy said ‘I’ve hurt my finger,can I be in the Paralympics!’

With the excitement of the Paralympics dyingdown Clare is returning to play with the Aces wheel-chair basketball club, based at Stoke MandevilleStadium while she considers her future in the sport.

‘Now people have seen how excitingWheelchair Basketball is, it would be great if we hada lot more people coming along to support us,’ saidClare. Gerald Simonds is again sponsoring the Aces andwe will be giving details of all Aces matches on ourwww.suchgoodsports.com website.

Despite the overwhelming reaction at theLondon Paralympics Clare remains uncertain about herfuture. ‘We’ve got the first GB training camp since theParalympics coming up, and that will be interesting’ sheexplained, ‘but I need time to decide what to do about2016 in Brazil.’

For wheelchair basketball star Clare Strange2012 was an ‘amazing’ year, culminating in herappearance as co-captain of the GBWomen’sTeam at the London Paralympics. But it was anexperience that left her with a few mixed feelings.

‘The highlight was playing in front of thosecrowds,’ said Clare, who was taking part in her fourthParalympics. ‘It was truly amazing; the buzz on the firstday was extraordinary and they raised the roof everytime we even just caught the ball!’ But despite thecrowd reaction, from a sporting point of view Clare wasdisappointed. ‘We finished seventh, the best I’ve everfinished at a Paralympic Games,’ she explained ‘but wedidn’t deliver and that’s a shame. It was a fantasticopportunity’.

Clare has noticed the much vauntedParalympic ‘legacy’ at first hand. ‘I speak at a lot ofschools,’ she said, ‘and children who weren’t particularlysporty have been inspired and now want to get

THE PARTY’SOVER.

Wheelchair basketball star ClareStrange looks back at London

2012 and considers her future.

Clare Strange in action for the Aces

STIMULITE CUSHIONSMAKE AN IMPRESSIONWe recently announced the introduction of Stimulite®

cushions to the UK and feedback from clients is alreadyproducing some very positive results. Tull Clancy wroteto say: ‘I am so impressed with this cushion. As well ashelping to keep me dry and comfortable, my pain levelshave definitely decreased.’

Since 1994 Stimulite cushions have providedTotal Pressure Management® - pressure relief, shearreduction and ventilation to control heat and moisture,the key to pressure sore prevention. Made from a soft,flexible form of aerospace honeycomb that has ‘memory,Stimulite is lightweight and distributes weight uniformlyacross its surface.When a user sits on a Stimulite cushion,the compressed cells radiate outwards to surround andsupport the anatomy, self-adjusting to each individualwhile providing excellent stability.

We are pleased to be sponsoring a new series ofWheelchair Master Classes run by the Spinal InjuriesAssociation (SIA). Presented by Lone Rose, clinicalspecialist and physiotherapist, the Choosing YourWheelchair Master Classes describe in detail theergonomic features of a manual wheelchair and theimplication of each one on function and give guidanceon optimal wheelchair set-up. Specialists from GeraldSimonds will also be on hand to answer questions.

Lone Rose has long experience of workingwith wheelchairs and wheelchair users, havingworked as a physiotherapist in spinal cord injurysince 1977 and developed the seating service at theNSIC at Stoke Mandeville in the 1980's. Lone ran theSeating Clinic at Stoke Mandeville until 2004.

Nine Master Classes are planned for2013/2014 including:

Oswestry SCIC, 26 April,Middlesborough SCIC, 15 May,Southport SCIC, 26 JunePinderfields SCIC, 12 OctoberStoke Mandeville, 2 November 2013.

Contact Karen Mikalsen at k.mikalsen@spinal.co.ukfor more details.

2013 marks the 30th anniversary of Gerald Simonds,suppliers of the best of the world’s mobility and seatingsolutions. Launching the company in March 1983 GeraldSimonds soon became UK distributor of the legendarySwede 24 wheelchair, one of the first lightweight rigidframed wheelchairs in production. Since then thecompany has grown to become a leading nationwidesupplier of high quality wheelchairs, powerchairs,pressure relieving wheelchair cushions and seatingsystems from the world's leading manufacturers.

Gerald Simonds is renowned for providingunrivalled service and the best after sales support, with

all our sales consultants having wide experience of theneeds of people with disabilities. To make us your firstchoice for all your mobility requirements, contact us FREEon 0800 220975 or visit www.gerald-simonds.co.uk.

Where it all began. The Gerald Simonds stand at the 1983Stoke Mandeville International Games - forerunner of themodern Paralympics.

’‘The World’s Best Mobility and Seating Solutions

POWER ON THE MOVE

ACTIVE CONTROL CENTRE DRIVESYSTEMS PUT YOU AT THE CENTRE

OF THE ACTION

‘FREEDOM ISN’T SOMETHING TO TAKEFOR GRANTED’ - KAREN DARKE

Karen Darke is British ParaCycling silver medalistfrom London 2012, a paratriathlete and all roundadventurer. During the recent winter, with itsextremes of weather, Karen fixed a FreeWheel toher chair and set off for the great outdoors.

She wrote to us about her experiences:

‘Thanks to riding a bike being my job right now, I’vebeen fortunate to spend chunks of time in Mallorca thelast few winters and to escape a good amount of theUK’s dark damp dreary days. The Paralympics is so ‘lastyear’ now (as a friend recently informed me, just beforeI took the stage at the Fort William Mountain FilmFestival to talk about it!), so my justification for escapingfor the winter has lost some weight. I wasn’t lookingforward to months of rain, wet snow, digging myself outof the flat with a tray (must buy a shovel!), chappedhands from pushing through grit and salt, wrappingclimbing cord around my wheelchair wheels like snowchains, then stressing when the dirty wetness they’vesoaked up imprints stubborn trails on nice clean carpets.

Experiencing a sense of freedom keeps life ina wheelchair bearable for me and it feels that wintersteals some of that away. It is harder to get around, tobattle the wheelchair through mud, grit, ice and snow.This winter though has felt a little different thanks to anew gadget I’ve tried - aptly named the ‘FreeWheel’ -invented by a guy in a wheelchair who apparently tookhis frustration about the difficulty of navigating roughterrain and did something to solve it. Thank you!!! Thequality of my winter has improved!

In December I found myself whizzingthrough city streets with the FreeWheel clipped on thefront, barely noticing the kerbs, bumps, potholes andtrail of potential hazards that impede my journey fromhome to the gym - it took me ten minutes to get to thegym instead of twenty! In January I was scootingthrough a parkland in central Oslo where people couldbarely stand up on the thick mantle of ice that encrustedthe ground - I was suddenly far more mobile than themas the small front wheels were lifted above all thelumps and the FreeWheel kept me from spinning on theice. In February, with a yawning blue sky across theCairngorm mountains near my home in Scotland, I setoff on a forest trail I’ve regularly pushed around, butmore quietly, freely and easily than ever before.

Karen Darke is a member of the British

ParaCycling team, winning a silver medal

in the Women's road time trial H1-2 at the

2012 London Paralympics. Paralysed from

the chest down following an accident

whilst sea cliff climbing, in 2006 she took

part in an expedition which crossed

Greenland's ice cap whilst sitting on skis,

using her arms and poles to cover the 372

mile crossing. She has also climbed Mont

Blanc, Matterhorn and El Capitan and

hand-cycled the length of Japan. Later this

year she hopes to ski to the South Pole.

It reminds me that technology and equipmentare incredibly powerful at changing our lives (I supposeI wouldn’t be anywhere without a wheelchair, and thereare parts of the world where if you’re paralysed, you areconfined to a bed or static chair as there are no wheel-chairs). Freedom isn’t something to take for granted.

Thank you FreeWheel man, and GeraldSimonds, for bringing extra freedom into the world!

The FreeWheel All-Terrainwheelchair add-on is availablefor a special price of £375, with

free delivery, fromwww.gs-direct.co.uk

Karen pushes around a forest trail in the Cairngorms ‘morequietly, freely and easily than ever before’

The new Power Buddy from GeraldSimonds is a USB charge port forcharging your mobile phone, MP3player, tablet, GPS or other electronic

devices while you are on the move.A simple plug and play

connection to the chargingport of your power wheelchair or scooter providessafe, secure charging of allyour mobile electronics.

The Power Buddygives you peace of

mind, knowing that your mobile phone is always fullycharged, while built in LED lights brighten your journeyand show you where you are going.

The Power Buddy is available for a specialprice of only £63.75, including postage, fromwww.gs-direct.co.uk

The Active Controls system is a modular ‘plug and go’power and control system which can be retro-fitted toconvert almost any model of power wheelchair to mid-line driving. It allows a range of drive controls andoptional charging points to be connected effortlesslyin a choice of positions, making life easier for bothuser and carer.

The JoyBar ‘Plug and go’ drivecontrol for midline driving - steer mostpowerchairs like a scooter. Easily retro-fitted to most powerchairs, the JoyBarallows natural midline driving withseparate controls for steering and speed,so first-time users feel more confidentand secure. The combination of powerwheelchair manoeuvrability andintuitive centre-mounted, scooter-stylecontrols creates a more natural riderexperience. In the attendant positionthe JoyBar provides more stability and

greater control, with ‘plug and go’ simplicity andwithout the need for upgraded electronics.

The ReJoy platform allows repositioning ofan existing joystick to midline on any power wheelchair,

with secure, gold plated ‘plug and go’connections. Centre mounted drivecontrols give a more natural driver

experience, allowing the moreinvolved user to maintain abetter posture than whenusing an armrest mounted

control. The pressurerelieving gel padsare simply adjustableby height, width and

angle. The ReJoy can alsobe easily mounted ina rear socket foreasy-to-operateattendant control.

Recharge is a ‘plug and go’ handle foreasy battery charging on any powerchairor mobility scooter. ReCharge can be usedwith any powerchair or mobility scooter toreplace the standard, often hard to see3-pin XLR plug with a large, easy to grasphandle that can be inserted into any

socket of the Centre Drive System.No more awkward bending andstruggling to line up the offset 3-pinplug. Simply plug in the oversizedhandle and the vehicle’sbattery will start to charge.

JoyBar ReJoy ReCharge

Gerald Simonds are UK distributors for TiLite wheelchairs

- world leading wheelchairs that combine unequalled

customisation with the most advanced materials. They

are designed to help you live your life to the maximum,

experience reduced body stress and maintain optimal

posture. And they look brilliant!

At Gerald Simonds we provide the highest

levels of support, before and after sale. We understand

how important choice is and that no matter what kind

of chair you have, quality, reliability, and comfort are

paramount. Our skilled advisors will never settle for less.

TiLite wheelchairs provide the smoothest,

most comfortable ride of any wheelchair available. The

ultimate ride backed by the ultimate in service.

The difference between a TiFit chair and all other chairs

is that a TiFit chair is tailored specifically to you. Every

frame is made to measure. No tube is cut, bent, or welded

until TiLite’s skilled fabricators have a full-scale drawing

of your chair based on your exact measurements. Only

TiLite offers TiFit.

The optimal fit of a TiFit chair brings

unparalleled performance and function. You will feel

the difference in everything you do.

The people who build TiLite

chairs use the chairs they build. They know

how important TiFit is because they

experience it every day. They know what it

takes to make the best chair and how

important it is that the chair is right for you.

And when we say custom, we

mean it. Each chair at TiLite is designed

and built using state-of-the-art engineering

techniques. No other wheelchair

manufacturer offers the same variety of

standard and custom options, providing

a truly orthosis-like fit.

This is what allows each TiLite

wheelchair to offer the Ultimate Ride.

Making TiLite and Gerald Simonds the

Ultimate Team.

THE ULTIMATE TEAM

TILITE AND TIFIT

The new TiLite Aero T

ALBER / HANDICARE / JAY / KUSCHALL / LEVO / KYMCO / PROACTIV / QUICKIE / STIMULITE / TARTA / TILITE / VICAIR..

ALBER / HANDICARE / JAY / KUSCHALL / LEVO / KYMCO / PROACTIV / QUICKIE / STIMULITE / TARTA / TILITE / VICAIR..

The best new product to come on to themarket during my 22 years of workingin rehabilitation. I believe it will seta new bench mark in poweredwheelchair development.Ian WarrenWheelchair Seating and Posture TechnicianDuke of Cornwall Spinal Treatment CentreSalisbury Hospital

’‘The World’s Best Mobility and Seating Solutions

POWER ON THE MOVE

ACTIVE CONTROL CENTRE DRIVESYSTEMS PUT YOU AT THE CENTRE

OF THE ACTION

‘FREEDOM ISN’T SOMETHING TO TAKEFOR GRANTED’ - KAREN DARKE

Karen Darke is British ParaCycling silver medalistfrom London 2012, a paratriathlete and all roundadventurer. During the recent winter, with itsextremes of weather, Karen fixed a FreeWheel toher chair and set off for the great outdoors.

She wrote to us about her experiences:

‘Thanks to riding a bike being my job right now, I’vebeen fortunate to spend chunks of time in Mallorca thelast few winters and to escape a good amount of theUK’s dark damp dreary days. The Paralympics is so ‘lastyear’ now (as a friend recently informed me, just beforeI took the stage at the Fort William Mountain FilmFestival to talk about it!), so my justification for escapingfor the winter has lost some weight. I wasn’t lookingforward to months of rain, wet snow, digging myself outof the flat with a tray (must buy a shovel!), chappedhands from pushing through grit and salt, wrappingclimbing cord around my wheelchair wheels like snowchains, then stressing when the dirty wetness they’vesoaked up imprints stubborn trails on nice clean carpets.

Experiencing a sense of freedom keeps life ina wheelchair bearable for me and it feels that wintersteals some of that away. It is harder to get around, tobattle the wheelchair through mud, grit, ice and snow.This winter though has felt a little different thanks to anew gadget I’ve tried - aptly named the ‘FreeWheel’ -invented by a guy in a wheelchair who apparently tookhis frustration about the difficulty of navigating roughterrain and did something to solve it. Thank you!!! Thequality of my winter has improved!

In December I found myself whizzingthrough city streets with the FreeWheel clipped on thefront, barely noticing the kerbs, bumps, potholes andtrail of potential hazards that impede my journey fromhome to the gym - it took me ten minutes to get to thegym instead of twenty! In January I was scootingthrough a parkland in central Oslo where people couldbarely stand up on the thick mantle of ice that encrustedthe ground - I was suddenly far more mobile than themas the small front wheels were lifted above all thelumps and the FreeWheel kept me from spinning on theice. In February, with a yawning blue sky across theCairngorm mountains near my home in Scotland, I setoff on a forest trail I’ve regularly pushed around, butmore quietly, freely and easily than ever before.

Karen Darke is a member of the British

ParaCycling team, winning a silver medal

in the Women's road time trial H1-2 at the

2012 London Paralympics. Paralysed from

the chest down following an accident

whilst sea cliff climbing, in 2006 she took

part in an expedition which crossed

Greenland's ice cap whilst sitting on skis,

using her arms and poles to cover the 372

mile crossing. She has also climbed Mont

Blanc, Matterhorn and El Capitan and

hand-cycled the length of Japan. Later this

year she hopes to ski to the South Pole.

It reminds me that technology and equipmentare incredibly powerful at changing our lives (I supposeI wouldn’t be anywhere without a wheelchair, and thereare parts of the world where if you’re paralysed, you areconfined to a bed or static chair as there are no wheel-chairs). Freedom isn’t something to take for granted.

Thank you FreeWheel man, and GeraldSimonds, for bringing extra freedom into the world!

The FreeWheel All-Terrainwheelchair add-on is availablefor a special price of £375, with

free delivery, fromwww.gs-direct.co.uk

Karen pushes around a forest trail in the Cairngorms ‘morequietly, freely and easily than ever before’

The new Power Buddy from GeraldSimonds is a USB charge port forcharging your mobile phone, MP3player, tablet, GPS or other electronic

devices while you are on the move.A simple plug and play

connection to the chargingport of your power wheelchair or scooter providessafe, secure charging of allyour mobile electronics.

The Power Buddygives you peace of

mind, knowing that your mobile phone is always fullycharged, while built in LED lights brighten your journeyand show you where you are going.

The Power Buddy is available for a specialprice of only £63.75, including postage, fromwww.gs-direct.co.uk

The Active Controls system is a modular ‘plug and go’power and control system which can be retro-fitted toconvert almost any model of power wheelchair to mid-line driving. It allows a range of drive controls andoptional charging points to be connected effortlesslyin a choice of positions, making life easier for bothuser and carer.

The JoyBar ‘Plug and go’ drivecontrol for midline driving - steer mostpowerchairs like a scooter. Easily retro-fitted to most powerchairs, the JoyBarallows natural midline driving withseparate controls for steering and speed,so first-time users feel more confidentand secure. The combination of powerwheelchair manoeuvrability andintuitive centre-mounted, scooter-stylecontrols creates a more natural riderexperience. In the attendant positionthe JoyBar provides more stability and

greater control, with ‘plug and go’ simplicity andwithout the need for upgraded electronics.

The ReJoy platform allows repositioning ofan existing joystick to midline on any power wheelchair,

with secure, gold plated ‘plug and go’connections. Centre mounted drivecontrols give a more natural driver

experience, allowing the moreinvolved user to maintain abetter posture than whenusing an armrest mounted

control. The pressurerelieving gel padsare simply adjustableby height, width and

angle. The ReJoy can alsobe easily mounted ina rear socket foreasy-to-operateattendant control.

Recharge is a ‘plug and go’ handle foreasy battery charging on any powerchairor mobility scooter. ReCharge can be usedwith any powerchair or mobility scooter toreplace the standard, often hard to see3-pin XLR plug with a large, easy to grasphandle that can be inserted into any

socket of the Centre Drive System.No more awkward bending andstruggling to line up the offset 3-pinplug. Simply plug in the oversizedhandle and the vehicle’sbattery will start to charge.

JoyBar ReJoy ReCharge

Gerald Simonds are UK distributors for TiLite wheelchairs

- world leading wheelchairs that combine unequalled

customisation with the most advanced materials. They

are designed to help you live your life to the maximum,

experience reduced body stress and maintain optimal

posture. And they look brilliant!

At Gerald Simonds we provide the highest

levels of support, before and after sale. We understand

how important choice is and that no matter what kind

of chair you have, quality, reliability, and comfort are

paramount. Our skilled advisors will never settle for less.

TiLite wheelchairs provide the smoothest,

most comfortable ride of any wheelchair available. The

ultimate ride backed by the ultimate in service.

The difference between a TiFit chair and all other chairs

is that a TiFit chair is tailored specifically to you. Every

frame is made to measure. No tube is cut, bent, or welded

until TiLite’s skilled fabricators have a full-scale drawing

of your chair based on your exact measurements. Only

TiLite offers TiFit.

The optimal fit of a TiFit chair brings

unparalleled performance and function. You will feel

the difference in everything you do.

The people who build TiLite

chairs use the chairs they build. They know

how important TiFit is because they

experience it every day. They know what it

takes to make the best chair and how

important it is that the chair is right for you.

And when we say custom, we

mean it. Each chair at TiLite is designed

and built using state-of-the-art engineering

techniques. No other wheelchair

manufacturer offers the same variety of

standard and custom options, providing

a truly orthosis-like fit.

This is what allows each TiLite

wheelchair to offer the Ultimate Ride.

Making TiLite and Gerald Simonds the

Ultimate Team.

THE ULTIMATE TEAM

TILITE AND TIFIT

The new TiLite Aero T

ALBER / HANDICARE / JAY / KUSCHALL / LEVO / KYMCO / PROACTIV / QUICKIE / STIMULITE / TARTA / TILITE / VICAIR..

ALBER / HANDICARE / JAY / KUSCHALL / LEVO / KYMCO / PROACTIV / QUICKIE / STIMULITE / TARTA / TILITE / VICAIR..

The best new product to come on to themarket during my 22 years of workingin rehabilitation. I believe it will seta new bench mark in poweredwheelchair development.Ian WarrenWheelchair Seating and Posture TechnicianDuke of Cornwall Spinal Treatment CentreSalisbury Hospital

to different degrees of scoliosis. The inclination of each ribcan be adjusted and, being made ofaluminium, can be curvedeasily to provide a perfectfit. The back surface can befurther customised with achoice of limited editioncolours or designs.

Available in four sizes, Tarta backrests providethe right solution to fulfil most seating needs.

The World’s Best Mobility and Seating SolutionsNews from Gerald Simonds

Suppliers of the World’s Best Mobility and Seating Solutions

Gerald Simonds Healthcare Ltd.9 March Place, Gatehouse Way

Aylesbury, Bucks HP19 8UATel: 01296 380200

email: info@gerald-simonds.co.ukwww.gerald-simonds.co.uk

ALBER / HANDICARE / JAY / KUSCHALL / LEVO / KYMCO / PROACTIV / QUICKIE / STIMULITE / TARTA / TILITE / VICAIR..

ALBER / HANDICARE / JAY / KUSCHALL / LEVO / KYMCO / PROACTIV / QUICKIE / STIMULITE / TARTA / TILITE / VICAIR..

Join us on Facebook and Twitter.Follow us by going to the links on our website

LIGHTWEIGHT WHEELCHAIRS

POWERCHAIRS

STAND UP WHEELCHAIRS

COMFORT WHEELCHAIRS

POWERDRIVES

DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS

WHEELCHAIR SEATING

PRESSURE AREA CARE

SCOOTERS

SIA WHEELCHAIRMASTER CLASSES

TheSPOKESMAN

TARTA - BACKS TO THE FUTUREThe new Tarta® ergonomic back system, distributed by

Gerald Simonds, is a modular system designedto adapt to and improve the posture of allthose who need to sit for a prolonged periodof time. Designed and built by experts in

postural optimisation, with an Italian eye fordesign, Tarta offers the most adaptable seatingsolution available, with the minimum of simple,robust components. They can easily be mounteddirectly to most wheelchairs.

The spring steel column linking the vertebrae retainsa memory of its original position during every

day stresses and strains, giving the wholeback flexibility and strength. This centralcolumn acts as a spine to which the desired

number of adaptable aluminium ribs areattached. Softly padded cushions in different shapes

and sizes are then added, using velcro fastenings, togive optimised customisation and make every Tarta backunique. The cushion pads are covered in breathable andwashable fabric, for long term comfort.

With the Tarta system it is possible to adjustthe inclination of each individual vertebra, thus adapting

THIRTY YEARS ON!

involved. It will definitely change people’s attitudetowards disability. One little boy said ‘I’ve hurt my finger,can I be in the Paralympics!’

With the excitement of the Paralympics dyingdown Clare is returning to play with the Aces wheel-chair basketball club, based at Stoke MandevilleStadium while she considers her future in the sport.

‘Now people have seen how excitingWheelchair Basketball is, it would be great if we hada lot more people coming along to support us,’ saidClare. Gerald Simonds is again sponsoring the Aces andwe will be giving details of all Aces matches on ourwww.suchgoodsports.com website.

Despite the overwhelming reaction at theLondon Paralympics Clare remains uncertain about herfuture. ‘We’ve got the first GB training camp since theParalympics coming up, and that will be interesting’ sheexplained, ‘but I need time to decide what to do about2016 in Brazil.’

For wheelchair basketball star Clare Strange2012 was an ‘amazing’ year, culminating in herappearance as co-captain of the GBWomen’sTeam at the London Paralympics. But it was anexperience that left her with a few mixed feelings.

‘The highlight was playing in front of thosecrowds,’ said Clare, who was taking part in her fourthParalympics. ‘It was truly amazing; the buzz on the firstday was extraordinary and they raised the roof everytime we even just caught the ball!’ But despite thecrowd reaction, from a sporting point of view Clare wasdisappointed. ‘We finished seventh, the best I’ve everfinished at a Paralympic Games,’ she explained ‘but wedidn’t deliver and that’s a shame. It was a fantasticopportunity’.

Clare has noticed the much vauntedParalympic ‘legacy’ at first hand. ‘I speak at a lot ofschools,’ she said, ‘and children who weren’t particularlysporty have been inspired and now want to get

THE PARTY’SOVER.

Wheelchair basketball star ClareStrange looks back at London

2012 and considers her future.

Clare Strange in action for the Aces

STIMULITE CUSHIONSMAKE AN IMPRESSIONWe recently announced the introduction of Stimulite®

cushions to the UK and feedback from clients is alreadyproducing some very positive results. Tull Clancy wroteto say: ‘I am so impressed with this cushion. As well ashelping to keep me dry and comfortable, my pain levelshave definitely decreased.’

Since 1994 Stimulite cushions have providedTotal Pressure Management® - pressure relief, shearreduction and ventilation to control heat and moisture,the key to pressure sore prevention. Made from a soft,flexible form of aerospace honeycomb that has ‘memory,Stimulite is lightweight and distributes weight uniformlyacross its surface.When a user sits on a Stimulite cushion,the compressed cells radiate outwards to surround andsupport the anatomy, self-adjusting to each individualwhile providing excellent stability.

We are pleased to be sponsoring a new series ofWheelchair Master Classes run by the Spinal InjuriesAssociation (SIA). Presented by Lone Rose, clinicalspecialist and physiotherapist, the Choosing YourWheelchair Master Classes describe in detail theergonomic features of a manual wheelchair and theimplication of each one on function and give guidanceon optimal wheelchair set-up. Specialists from GeraldSimonds will also be on hand to answer questions.

Lone Rose has long experience of workingwith wheelchairs and wheelchair users, havingworked as a physiotherapist in spinal cord injurysince 1977 and developed the seating service at theNSIC at Stoke Mandeville in the 1980's. Lone ran theSeating Clinic at Stoke Mandeville until 2004.

Nine Master Classes are planned for2013/2014 including:

Oswestry SCIC, 26 April,Middlesborough SCIC, 15 May,Southport SCIC, 26 JunePinderfields SCIC, 12 OctoberStoke Mandeville, 2 November 2013.

Contact Karen Mikalsen at k.mikalsen@spinal.co.ukfor more details.

2013 marks the 30th anniversary of Gerald Simonds,suppliers of the best of the world’s mobility and seatingsolutions. Launching the company in March 1983 GeraldSimonds soon became UK distributor of the legendarySwede 24 wheelchair, one of the first lightweight rigidframed wheelchairs in production. Since then thecompany has grown to become a leading nationwidesupplier of high quality wheelchairs, powerchairs,pressure relieving wheelchair cushions and seatingsystems from the world's leading manufacturers.

Gerald Simonds is renowned for providingunrivalled service and the best after sales support, with

all our sales consultants having wide experience of theneeds of people with disabilities. To make us your firstchoice for all your mobility requirements, contact us FREEon 0800 220975 or visit www.gerald-simonds.co.uk.

Where it all began. The Gerald Simonds stand at the 1983Stoke Mandeville International Games - forerunner of themodern Paralympics.