Brian rediscovered his love of swimming at Woodlarks!
Brian was born with spina bifida and had undergone four major surgeries before the age of 5. His prognosis was good, but the doctors advised that he would never be able to walk. He was a bright child with lots of energy and was able to attend mainstream schooling.
He discovered that he loved the freedom of swimming whilst he was at secondary school, but as he grew older, he found it much harder to swim regularly. His local pool wasn’t easily accessible, because it didn’t have facilities for hoisting, and appropriate transport was expensive and difficult to arrange.
Brian had heard about Woodlarks from a friend and applied to join an ‘open camp’ – imagine his joy on finding that he would be able to swim every day for a whole week! The changing rooms are fully accessible, with great shower facilities, and the poolside hoist made it so easy for Brian and his buddy to manage efficient transfers from Brian’s power chair to the pool and back.
Woodlarks reignited a dream in Brian – he had always wondered whether he might be able to swim a mile. So, he worked with his team and with the camp leader to create an opportunity to test out that challenge. Other campers and helpers swam alongside him ‘in shifts’ to spur him on, because Brian was in the water for many hours that day.
It was uplifting to hear all the cheers and see the elation on Brian’s face as he completed his final length. The whole camp celebrated his achievement. Yet another dream came true at Woodlarks.
He discovered that he loved the freedom of swimming whilst he was at secondary school, but as he grew older, he found it much harder to swim regularly. His local pool wasn’t easily accessible, because it didn’t have facilities for hoisting, and appropriate transport was expensive and difficult to arrange.
Brian had heard about Woodlarks from a friend and applied to join an ‘open camp’ – imagine his joy on finding that he would be able to swim every day for a whole week! The changing rooms are fully accessible, with great shower facilities, and the poolside hoist made it so easy for Brian and his buddy to manage efficient transfers from Brian’s power chair to the pool and back.
Woodlarks reignited a dream in Brian – he had always wondered whether he might be able to swim a mile. So, he worked with his team and with the camp leader to create an opportunity to test out that challenge. Other campers and helpers swam alongside him ‘in shifts’ to spur him on, because Brian was in the water for many hours that day.
It was uplifting to hear all the cheers and see the elation on Brian’s face as he completed his final length. The whole camp celebrated his achievement. Yet another dream came true at Woodlarks.
Please note that this is a composite story designed to protect the identity of several vulnerable people. All of the details described represent the lived experience of real people who have benefited from the opportunities offered by Woodlarks.
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