Staffordshire Stars

Deb Daniel

There was a flash of light, and just about enough time for Deb Daniel to think to herself that something was seriously wrong, before she was catapulted into the air. Deb, a police sergeant, and her fiancé had flown to St Lucia to get married and, two days before the ceremony, had decided to take a scuba-diving trip. But problems with the boat’s engine led to a crew member trying to hotwire it, and the boat exploded in a fireball.

Deb bore the full force of the explosion, which shattered her lower spine and left her paralysed from the waist down. Yet in some ways she counts herself lucky – four people died in the blast.

That was in 1997, and in the intervening years she has battled depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, and has endured a number of operations and medical complaints as she tried to rebuild her life in a new world. Watching her canter around her paddock now in something akin to a Roman chariot is proof that through the dense fog of such physical and mental trauma can come a new purpose and passion.

Thanks to the Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA), she has become one of the country’s top carriage drivers, regularly beating able-bodied riders and earning a regular place in the GB team for the Para World Championships. She has a sense of dynamism and ambition that she feared she would never feel again.

“I was always so fit, so sporty,” she says. “Everything in life was looking up. I had just been promoted to sergeant, was getting married in St Lucia. Even on the morning of the accident I had been for a run and a swim. I had run for my county, worked as a swimming teacher. To have that level of fitness and activity taken from you is a really difficult thing to cope with.

“I surfaced, but went back under the water to see if my legs were there. I knew I had broken my back and had to shout at the helpers not to lift me; they had to float me ashore.”

A fortnight’s stay in hospital confirmed her worst fears. Deb had broken five vertebrae, some so shattered from the explosion that they would never recover. She was flown home and spent four months in the Midlands Centre for Spinal Injuries in Oswestry, Shropshire, before being given the news she dreaded – that she would never walk again.

“I was beside myself. Though you probably think it, when somebody actually tells you that you’ll never walk again, you just don’t know how you can go on.”

Deb married her partner Neil, who suffered less serious spinal injuries, two years later, but they have since separated. She also returned to work at Staffordshire Police, and even though her managers and colleagues were “fantastic”, six years ago she felt forced to retire on health grounds.

But eight years ago Deb, 43, and her new partner, Paul, moved into a rural bungalow near Shrewsbury, where they are building a horse-breeding business and where she was introduced to the RDA. She quickly realised how good she was at carriage driving, and has gone on to represent Great Britain in the 2010 Para World Championships (she was the highest-placed Briton) and to win both club and national titles. This summer she will again compete in the Para World Championships.

The RDA first adopted carriage driving in 1975 and there are now almost 80 groups giving opportunities to more than 1,000 drivers. It is geared towards people who cannot ride, or who prefer a different type of challenge, the benefits including improved co-ordination, balance and muscle power, along with the thrill of the ride. The non-physical benefits and social side are seen as just as important. Drivers are subject to the same tests as riders and use trained volunteers, who sit with the driver to teach skills and help if required.

Deb’s involvement with RDA has, she says, “really given me a sense of purpose”. “I’ve always been a competitive person and what this has done is show that just because the body doesn’t work, it doesn’t mean the head and heart are the same. Carriage driving gave me goals to aim for at a time when it was easy to sit around listlessly, thinking 'what am I going to do?’”

Margaret Brockie, chairman of RDA carriage driving, says that demand for the service heavily outweighs what the charity is able to provide. It is desperate for money to train volunteers to be “whips” – people who sit in the carriage behind the driver and assist them – and assessors, who check kit and horses, as well as pay for equipment. A top-of-the-range carriage costs £10,000.

The sport, she says, is particularly important because for many severely disabled people, particularly youngsters, it is one of the few activities they can take part in. “We need more groups and for the current groups to be able to expand. Carriage driving is such a valuable resource, especially if you are so disabled that you cannot ride or do other activities.”

Deb Daniel herself has a clear message about the invaluable work of the RDA. “People might think it is only about children or people born with disabilities, but it isn’t. There will be people like me whose life suddenly turns upside down. They should know how they have helped me, how many friends I met when my life was in turmoil, and know that the charity can do the same for them.

“It has helped me look to the future in a really positive way and, hopefully, I’ve got a long future ahead of me. Touch wood.”

Ben Fry

Bittersweet ending to stellar year for Ben

GOALKEEPER Ben Fry pulled off an incredible save to help his team win the league and cup double ... but has now been told he should not play football again.

Fry, from Dresden, was a key member of the North Staffordshire Special Olympics football team who dominated the North West Disability League Division C in 2011.

But the team's season hung in the balance when they took on championship rivals Everton in May with both sides needing to win.

With the scores at 1-1, Everton broke clear and fired a shot to the right of Fry, who had already taken an early dive towards his left.

His dad, Tony Fry, takes up the story: "He was going backwards the other way, but somehow twisted, almost in mid-air, and pushed the ball up and over with his right hand.

"It was split-second stuff, but helped send us on the way to a 3-1 win and the title."

Rock solid North Staffs, who only conceded three goals throughout their league campaign, also won the League Cup with a 4-2 success over Preston.

However, a dark cloud was to follow for 28-year-old Ben, who has suffered from a bad back for the past nine years.

Damage to his vertebrae meant he was advised to stop playing football altogether in the summer, leaving him to instead focus on swimming.

Tony added: "It's a real shame, but he has been told that if he gets knocked over again it could do some real damage.

"He's been receiving treatment for a long time, but that never stopped him enjoying his football.

"He has loved playing in goal for the past seven years.

"He's very disappointed of course, but it was a wonderful way to bow out by helping his team win the league and cup."

Former Aynsley Special School student Ben, who has learning difficulties, took pride in the last season before he had to hang up his gloves.

He said: "It was great to win the double.

"We all had a lot of fun, and the defence was brilliant. I loved diving about.

"I can't describe exactly how I made the save at Everton, but I knew it must have been good from everyone's reaction."

Ben has been nominated in the disability category of TheSentinel/City of Stoke-on-Trent Sports Personality of the Year awards by his brother, Matt.

Matt, a fund-raiser for the North Staffs Special Olympics team, said: "Ben had a fantastic year playing football as his team competed throughout the year in the North West Disability Football League.

"He only let in three goals in helping the team with the C Division and also played amazing in helping the them also win the League Cup."

Tony added: "Ben loves his swimming but he has loved football even more ever since he first started playing. It was great to see him do so well."

North Staffs Special Olympics

Special group still going strong after 30 years

MORE than 100 athletes with learning difficulties have been given a platform to play the sports they love by volunteers at North Staffordshire Special Olympics.

It was a landmark year for the Potteries-based club, which was formed in 1981 and joined forces with Stoke Dolphins in 1995.

Football, athletics, swimming, basketball, badminton and kayaking are now available for the 117 members of all abilities to try out or compete in across the city every week.

Chairman Tony Fry said: "It is a remarkable achievement to have been going for 30 years and we are still going from strength to strength.

"The committee and the coaches and the volunteers do a sterling job providing an outlet for people to enjoy sport which would otherwise not be open to them."

Over the past 12 months, North Staffs hosted competitions for the West Midlands special Olympics region, with tournaments for badminton, athletics and football.

More than 1,000 athletes visited Stoke-on-Trent to take part in the events, and plans are afoot to extend the scale of the events in 2012.

Fry said: "We work with 13 or 14 other groups across the region and we are always looking to improve what we offer. We ran the badminton competition over one day last year, but this time we hope to make it go over the whole weekend. If we can we will also start a basketball tournament.

"It is going to be a busy and exciting year, just like always with the North Staffs Special Olympics."

The group won hundreds of medals across all disciplines during 2011, as well as a handful of team honours.

In football, the club won the North West Disability Football League Division C league and cup double, beating Preston on their own turf to lift the cup.

The kayaking arm of the club, which is run in conjunction with Trentham Canoe Club, could also grow over the next few months.

Fry said: "We want more people to come and try the water at Trentham so we are thinking about ways we can make that happen.

"We just keep going and trying to provide something which all our members can enjoy. It is wonderful to see how the club is thriving."

The group has been nominated in the Sport in the Community section of The Sentinel/City of Stoke Sports Personality of the Year awards by fund-raiser Matt Fry.

Matt, Tony's son, said: "There are 117 athletes with disabilities now who use the team for sport and recreation.

"They have represented North Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent at competitions across the country throughout the year, as well as in the three competitions we held."

Able Too Forum

Disability Sport in East Staffordshire has enabled people with disabilities more opportunities to participate in a variety of activities, which are provided through the East Staffordshire Borough Council's Sports Development Team, who work in partnership with Able Too Forum.

The Able Too Forum was founded in 1999 and consists of 12 volunteers who attend meetings throughout the year to discuss future activities/projects. The forum aim to increase opportunities for people with disabilities to participate and reach their full potential in a range of sports and activities.

The Able Too Forum has been very successful in the past 6/7 years accessing external funding from Awards For All, Local Children's Network Fund, Sport Relief Fund, Staffordshire Children's Centre, Consolidated Charity of Burton upon Trent, and East Staffordshire Sports Council, which has gone towards funding all the activities.

Specific Features

•  Able Too United Football Development Centre - Opened in May 2003 by Burton Albion Captain Darren Stride. Organised in partnership with the Staffordshire FA. The centre continues to provide weekly football coaching for children and adults aged from 5 to 60 years old.

• Able Too United - This football team competes in the Staffordshire Ability Counts League and it made up from players who attend the Football Development Centre. Recently the team have been honoured with the Npower West Midlands Disability 'Team of the Year' 2010. They are also waiting for the outcome of their Charter Standard application.  

• Disability Holiday Programme - Multi-sport activities are organised to attract the non-footballers therefore activities include Cricket, Zone Hockey, Boccia, Kurling, Goalball and Basketball. Held at Shobnall Leisure Complex.

• Able Too Games - An event for people with disabilities held annually in November. First event was held in 2003. The activities included Football, Basketball, Cricket, Judo, Swimming, Bowls, Boccia, Kurling, Goalball, Aerobics, Table Top Games and Zone Hockey.

• Sports Coaches assist Community Clubs - The forum pays for specialist sports coaches to assist community disability club leaders on their usual weekly club night. This provides a direct link to the forums activities, therefore providing more opportunities to play sport.

Quote from Neil Brown, Sports Development Officer at East Staffordshire Borough Council and Treasurer to the Able Too Forum.

'Disability Sport in East Staffordshire has continued to grow each year through the work of the Sports Development Team and Able Too Forum. It has been our aim to provide opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in physical activities, to have fun and meet new people. The Able Too Games is a fantastic example, and the event provided a variety of activities, and gave everyone the opportunity to participate and have fun regardless of their disability.'

'The Npower West Midlands 'Team of the Year' award was the icing on the cake for another year of hard work from the Able Too Forum. The volunteers involved with the forum show excellent commitment and dedication to such a worthy cause. Their continued work provides all these activities for people with disabilities to enjoy and extend their quality of life.'