“Hope for the future for this developing sport” World’s first adaptive boxing wheelchair unveiled.
A boxing coach from Manchester has welcomed a new wheelchair which she says marks a milestone in the sport for adaptive boxers.
Luiz Faye. is an adaptive boxer herself and qualified England boxing coach who runs sessions at the VIP amateur boxing gym in Astley.
The new wheelchair was designed by RMA Sport in collaboration with Kronik Warriors UK and Great Britain Disability Boxing who were a key part in the development and funding of the project.
Kronik Warriors UK helps disabled people to face challenges and build friendships through boxing, which Luiz founded.
She said: “This new wheelchair will be a huge catalyst in driving this sport forward and I have had the privilege to demonstrate this at a few disability sports festivals. It was a ‘pinch me’ moment when I finally got to try it.”
These include Wheel Power which helps anyone over the age of five discover sport in a safe, friendly, and welcoming environment. There has also been interest from the Commonwealth Games community engagement team.
Luiz said: “The interest in this piece of equipment has been phenomenal. I think it gives people a vision, and it gives hope for the future of this developing sport.
Kronik Warriors UK aims to create a community establishing a safe place where disabled people can talk openly about their challenges, share coping mechanisms and make friends through boxing.
RMA Sport provides the wheelchairs for the Team GB Rugby and Wheelchair Motor Cross (WCMX).
Previously, adaptive boxers like Luiz have been using day chairs which are only designed to get the occupant from A to B which can pose potential safety risks. Luiz talked about the potential dangers of adaptive boxing without the proper environment.
She said: “Conventional wheelchairs were not good for adaptive boxing because if you get hit from the front, then there is a risk that you can tip over backwards and fall out of the chair”.
This issue has been addressed in the new chair. “The tip bar on the new adaptive boxing wheelchair prevents this and ensures safety for the users during sparring and any other workouts.”
The new wheelchair has the large protruding bumper removed at the front allowing adaptive boxers to get closer to each other when sparring. The camber of the wheels of the adaptive boxing wheelchair also differs as the new wheels have a broader base and tilt up diagonally towards the centre of the chair.
This allows for better movement and mobility for users as the wheels can be operated with the user’s elbows and forearms to roll back and forth.
Luiz said: “The absolute ingenuity is an air-filled rebound shock, and that can be adapted based on the core stability of the user; the idea is if my core is slightly weaker while I am training, I can put gas into that shock, and it will take pressure off my core, so if I lean away from something it rolls me back slightly.”
The adaptive boxer uses a significantly greater amount of energy than a non-disabled person to complete the same tasks. The new chair can adjust the aid the chair gives them, and the rebound shock is significant. It can be adjusted throughout the session as the user tires.
