In this fast-paced blog, VOS member and Army Veteran, Kevin Warrington, shares his inspiring story about his recent Wetwheels adventure.
Kevin joined the Royal Corps of Signals, at the tender age of 15 in the 70s – he was medically discharged when diagnosed with several joint and bone issues.
The Wetwheels Foundation is a remarkable charity that empowers disabled people, including those with profound and complex needs to safely enjoy the thrill of the sea aboard specially designed, fully accessible powerboats.
Kevin shares his story:
“A mysterious phone call last week turned out to be from Angie at VOS.
‘We’ve been given some tickets for the Southampton Boat Show, would you be interested?’
I explained that having what is described medically as a ‘totally worn-out spine’ combined with poor balance, mixing me with water is fraught with impending peril. Well, it turned out that the tickets were from Wetwheels, a charity that exists to get everyone of different abilities onto the water and that someone like me was a perfect fit for their aims. And I could take my wife, Ann, along as well, to make sure I behaved myself. I’m rarely allowed out far from home on my own, as I forget that I’m now limited in my abilities and, whilst I might think I’m still in my 20s, my body often reminds me that a 70th birthday is approaching quickly.
Oh, yes…and there was an option to get out on the water on their powerboat. In which case, can you put us down for two tickets and please pass our grateful thanks to Wetwheels.
So, on Tuesday, we headed off to Southampton and after a wander around the show, found the Wetwheels stand and sorted our trip. We have a bit of experience with boats as for many years. we owned a narrowboat that chugged up and down the canals in best ‘Rosie and Jim’ style.
The Wetwheels boat was seriously impressive – a high speed, twin outboard cabin powerboat with more power in each outboard than most cars. Very cleverly, there is an opening gate in the gunwale so that wheelchairs can be easily accommodated and there are proper lashing points to keep the wheelchairs and occupants safe, when the boat is in motion. There’s even a ramp up to the steering position so people in wheelchairs are able to control the boat if they wish.
We left our mooring at a sedate speed and headed upstream from the Southampton Boat Show towards the cruise terminals. Along the way, we were accosted by a cut-throat crew of pirates and at that point, the skipper pushed both throttles fully forward to escape. The bow came up out of the water, we were on the plane and powering through the water at something that I estimated to be well in excess of thirty knots, including a couple of high-speed turns. Two or three orbits later, we headed back to the mooring. It was a brilliant experience!”
Wetwheels Foundation was founded by Navy veteran and disabled yachtsman Geoff Holt MBE, Wetwheels began in Portsmouth and has since grown to operate from multiple locations across the UK. They encourage active participation which builds confidence and boosts mental and physical wellbeing.
“We continually innovate through new technologies, and improve our experience through the excellence of our teams and feedback from participants.” Wetwheels Foundation
Read more about Wetwheels Foundation here
Veterans Outreach Support is a registered charity, which means we need a certain amount of funding to be able to deliver support to veterans and their partners in a variety of ways, including in the form of cognitive, behavioural and emotional well-being therapies or treatments.
If you’re a veteran from the UK Armed Forces or the Merchant Navy (from any time of service) or a partner to one, VOS would love for you to join our community. We are here to offer our support: call us on 02392 731 767, visit an upcoming drop-in, or email wellbeing@vosuk.org
