Wheelchair racing is the racing of wheelchairs for both track and road races. Racing is open to athletes with any qualifying type of disability and are typically organized by their disabilities for competitions. The Summer Paralympics, has had wheelchair racing available since 1960. Some people race to experience speed and exhilaration, something that they may not be able to experience otherwise. While others simply revel in the fact that they’re feeling a freedom unlike anything they’ve ever experienced. Racing also has that sense of competition, that drives and motivates the racers while they’re out on the road/track. There is also a strong sense of community involved, and some racers simply enjoy the relationships that racing can bring, and having the ability to spend time with such a supportive and friendly group. A privately-owned Danish company, Wolturnus A/S has been developing and manufacturing wheelchairs, sports wheelchairs and handcycles throughout the world since 2002.

Designed by a team of specialists that include cycling industry experts and competitive wheelchair users, Wolturnus offers unique, custom built products for individual customers backed by deep knowledge and insight into the needs of those with special needs. You can head over to their website to read more of their story. A small company with five employees founded in 1997, Draft sell its own products alongside an array of other companies, including Top End, Kuschall, Quickie, Ti Lite, Wolturnus and Melrose, in order to offer the widest selection of quality products possible.ikea high chair mat In addition to racing wheelchairs, Draft manufactures handcycles, waterskis, tennis, basketball and rowing seats, some of which were using to win gold medals at Paralympics in Sydney 2000. cheap chair covers and sashes for sale

In the company’s tenure, their products have brought home 31 medals over five Paralympics. Each product is built from the ground up with personal, small scale service and couture uniqueness. To learn more, head over to Draft’s website. Started in 1986 by wheelchair racer George Murray and wheelchair technical expert Chris Peterson, Top End has won numerous medals at Paralympics 1992, 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012.dining room chairs super amart The company offers all kind of chairs: racing, everyday, rugby, basketball and handcycles and patented the first sport-specific tennis chair in 1992. where to buy a waffle chairIn 1993, the company became part of Invacare Corporation which was the leading manufacturer and distributor of medical products, offering the sports and recreation product lineup that Invacare was lacking.leather tub chair london

To learn more, visit the website. Low-cost sports wheelchairs with all profits going to charity, Motivation Sports was started in 1991 by Royal College of Art students David Constantine and Simon Gue after they entered a competition in 1989 to design a wheelchair suitable for everyday use in developing countries. The prize money they won helped start the organization, which served over 18,000 people in 17 countries in 2013 with its wide range of products. table and chairs for sale lincolnProducts include everyday wheelchairs, supportive trikes, sports wheelchairs and the racing wheelchair commissioned by the International Paralympic Committee that was launched in 2012. Motivation Sports also works hand-in-hand with the World Health Organization (WHO) to develop guidelines and training for the provision of wheelchair services. Learn more about Motivation Sports and what they do.

Started in 1980 by Barry Ewing, this company makes wheelchairs for track and road racing, basketball, quad-rugby, tennis, handcycles, waterskis, off-road and everyday use. The company seeks out the newest products to enhance performance of its custom-built products for each customer. Ewing’s 30 years of industry experience, love of coaching wheelchair sports and desire to build a lightweight maneuverable wheelchair for professional and recreational athletes. This lead to his creation of this company to provide progressive looks and performance to every wheelchair user that comes through its doors. Learn more about Eagle Sportschairs on their site. For more information about the Paralympics, please visit their website.Pin it for later on Pinterest here:Think marathons are just for super athletes who’ve spent their lives training? Take Amanda McGrory – America’s current top female wheelchair marathoner. She entered her first marathon on a bribe a year ago, and if you’re like her, entering a race could be your first step toward winning the ING New York City Wheelchair Marathon.

“Desire is the most important factor in the success of any athlete,” American jockey Bill Shoemaker once said. Do you have that desire to stretch your physical boundaries, to watch the road disappear beneath your wheels, to race beside others who are driven by the same desire that drives you, with a view of the finish line ahead? Desire may be most important, but it isn’t the only factor that makes an athlete successful. Adam Bleakney knows – in the last five years, he was the champion in three marathons and the runner-up in two, with a personal best time of 1:30:53 (2005 Grandma’s Marathon, Minnesota). Bleakney shared with us his expertise – not just from 11 years of marathon racing, but also from training and competing in the Paralympics and from his career as the head coach of the wheelchair track and road racing squad at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. When we asked him what newcomers should do to prepare for a wheelchair marathon, Bleakney suggested they focus first on stamina.

“This is achieved by long, steady-pace training sessions that primarily tax the aerobic energy system. These sessions will improve economy and stroke efficiency.” His second suggestion for wheeling a marathon was to train for multiple pace and effort changes, with routines such as “pushing yourself above your lactate threshold climbing a hill and then resting on the descent. Fartlek, or a workout of informal pace changes, best addresses this demand, as does structured interval training.” Bleakney said that at this level, diet wouldn’t need to be modified beyond what is generally recommended, although athletes should keep in mind the importance of keeping their energy levels up. What needs to be done as the marathon approaches? “I like to have all controllable variables squared up the night before,” he said. “Examples are having a spare tire attached to the racer, making sure the water bottle is working correctly, or taping race numbers on.” As for the morning of the race, Bleakney suggests giving yourself extra time.

“Say I get down to the hotel lobby and discover I’ve forgotten my gloves in the room – I want enough time to avoid stress or, worse, missing the race start. Breakfast should be whatever you can tolerate and definitely a food you’re used to eating, even if it isn’t condoned by a nutritionist.” Bleakney has four key pieces of advice for during the marathon: “Carry a sports drink with you – PowerAde, Gatorade, etc., make sure your brakes work, glue your tires on, and use common sense.” Physiologically, training for a marathon is similar to training for the Paralympics track and field, but that’s where the similarities end. “There are different needs for the road than there are for the track, mostly within the skill side. So, for example, being able to burrow into a tight gliding position on descents is a needed skill for the road, but it’s of little need on the track,” explained Bleakney, who won silver in the 2004 Paralympics. “On the track, reaction time and chair control are in far greater demand than on the road,” he said, adding that it should come as no surprise that sharpening for the track is also different than sharpening for the road.