This episode of Soundbites continued our sports theme as we approach the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games. Senior associate Victoria Williams spoke to Martin McElhatton, Chief Executive of national charity for wheelchair sport, WheelPower. Based at Stoke Mandeville Stadium, the birthplace of the Paralympic movement, WheelPower provides sports opportunities for adults and children with disabilities, encouraging them to have a more active lifestyle.

In this episode, Martin discussed the importance of providing sports opportunities to disabled people through the lens of his own life story. Having lived with a spinal injury for 45 years, sport has been a massive part of Martin’s life, both in his own sporting career and his work with WheelPower.

Martin and Victoria also discussed the relationship between the Paralympics and WheelPower’s Inter Spinal Unit Games, and some of the star athletes who have competed in both events. The session concluded with a summary of the sports equipment and opportunities that WheelPower offers both online and at Stoke Mandeville.

Watch the full episode here: 

 

Our speaker – Martin McElhatton OBE

Martin McElhatton OBE is a Paralympian who competed in wheelchair basketball for Great Britain in the 1984 Paralympic Games at Stoke Mandeville.

Martin had a spinal injury in 1979 in a RTA and is paralysed from the waist down (T10). After rehab in the National Spinal Injuries Centre at Stoke Mandeville Martin was introduced to sport which changed his life. Martin has been involved in wheelchair sport for over 40 years including voluntary roles within wheelchair tennis at national and international level, local sport within Buckinghamshire as well as his professional life as Chief Executive of WheelPower at Stoke Mandeville Stadium where he has worked for 30 years.

Martin was honoured to be a London 2012 Paralympic Torch Bearer and in 2013 received the prestigious Brad Parks Award for services to international wheelchair tennis.

 


 

Previous Stewarts Soundbites episodes

A series of bitesize webcasts designed to deliver concise and interesting updates, conversations and presentations on a range of topics, brought to you by our specialist lawyers and featuring some special guest speakers – Find out more.

Stewarts Soundbites

 


 

You can find further information regarding our expertise, experience and team on our Personal Injury pages.

If you require assistance from our team, please contact us.

 


 

Subscribe – In order to receive our news straight to your inbox, subscribe here. Our newsletters are sent no more than once a month.

Key Contacts

See all people