Fish make all the right moves with sponsorship of UK’s top Wheelchair Dancing duo
The Manchester-based duo of Gary Lyness and Paula Moulton have just returned from the Dutch Open Championships where they claimed their third consecutive Gold medal in the Amateur Latin category. The pair also collected a Silver in the Ballroom section whilst colleagues from their Strictly Wheelchair Dancing group also scored highly in the tournament’s Debutant categories.
The Dutch event is Europe’s largest official Wheelchair Dancesport competition attracting over 150 couples from across the world, making Strictly Wheels’ success even more remarkable. The duo only took up the sport in February 2010 with intensive training being swiftly rewarded the following year with three titles secured in the UK championships, Manchester Grand Prix and Dutch and Malta Opens.Their success is even more astonishing when you consider Strictly Wheels are self-funding, reliant on donations and sponsorship to support their training and participation in domestic and international contests. Fish has stepped in to assist by providing specialist disabled travel insurance to ensure the pair are well protected when competing abroad. With Strictly Wheels representing GB they are set to travel not just in Europe but possibly as far afield as Brazil for the IPC Wheelchair Dance Sport World Championships.
The duo, who also made it through to the semi-finals of Britain Got Talent last year, expressed their thanks to Fish for the company’s backing. “We’re really grateful to Fish for stepping in and providing us with disabled travel insurance,” said Paula, 42, who suffered nerve damage from the waist down having contracted pneumonia and then MRSA when she was 21. “Not only will this give us peace of mind knowing that cover has been designed specifically to protect people like me, but it saves us much needed money. This is important not just to us, but the club, which is run as a charity, and the Manchester Grand Prix which we organise and this year is set to attract competitors from 11 European nations. All of these things are entirely dependent on the goodwill of companies like Fish and our own fundraising efforts.”
Fish’s managing director John Garrard says he didn’t hesitate to lend the company’s support to the pair. “This was one of the easiest decisions I’ve had to make in my business life. Strictly Wheels are an extraordinary success and a fantastic advert for a can-do mentality. Three years ago they had never even danced, let alone competed and yet they swiftly rose to become the first UK couple to reach top class status and have collected no fewer than 11 domestic and international trophies. It’s an absolute privilege to be able to support their endeavours.”
* Disabled and looking to travel abroad this summer? Then check out Fish’s disabled travel insurance policy. It includes many benefits designed specifically to protect people with disabilities and/or pre-existing medical conditions. These include cover for manual wheelchairs and mobility aids and the emergency replacement of a carer and prescription medicines. For a quote call 0800 088 3275 or click here.
