Charity Remap helps disabled athlete Derek to “Go for Gold”!

34-year-old Derek Derenalagi lost his legs in 2007, when the Landrover in which he was travelling in Afghanistan was blown up by an anti-tank mine. He was in a coma for nine days at Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham, but 15 months later he was at the US national Olympic Training Centre near San Diego, chosen as one of six members of the British armed forces to develop their sporting prowess by spending a week at a training camp in California. He was picked by Major Martin Colclough, a British Army fitness instructor, who was looking for people with not only sporting ability but also a strong mental attitude.

On Tuesday, May 8, 2012, Derek, who is a real medal prospect, will participate in the qualifying stage for the London 2012 Paralympic Games discus competition and a simple piece of equipment – a bespoke lightweight adjustable throwing frame which Derek sits on/secures himself to – designed in Buckinghamshire by volunteers of the charity Remap, may make all the difference.

As Remap’s Chief Executive Officer, Susan Iwanek explained: “Remap is a wonderful and inspiring charity that is made up of 80 groups (panels) around England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The majority of our volunteers have an engineering background, love to solve problems and invent items that often change people’s lives.”

She continued: “Last year I went with Les Brown, one of our trustees, to meet Martin Colclough and discuss whether Remap could get involved with disabled ex-servicemen and make special equipment for them to help them take part in high-level sport. As a result we were contacted by Alison O’Riordan, Derek’s trainer at Sport England, and she requested the piece of equipment that Remap has now made to help Derek try for a medal. One of our volunteers, Roger Thorn, devised a simple piece of equipment – a frame with a seat – that Derek can easily put together himself within the allocated timescale.”

Roger said: “I was amazed at the energy that Derek produced when throwing the discus and knew that we would have to design a very strong but lightweight frame. The frame has to be secured to the ground with four adjustable straps and Derek has to be secured to the frame with two seat belts. In competition, Derek and an assistant only have a limited time to set up his frame and secure Derek to it.  In addition to this, the frame has to be portable and light enough to allow Derek to take it with him when flying to international events.”

Fijian-born, Derek, who now lives in Hertfordshire, said:  “I love the frame. When I win a medal I want everyone to know that Remap helped to make it possible. They’ve done a marvellous job for me.”

Les Brown, Remap trustee and chairman of the charity’s South Buckinghamshire Panel, has also been heavily involved in the project and is talking to Help for Heroes and Battle Back, the Ministry of Defence’s rehabilitation programme for wounded soldiers at Headley Court in Surrey, where Derek spent five weeks. Les said: “I am delighted how Remap has been able to help Derek. We were invited to watch him at a special workshop for seated throwers at Lee Valley Stadium at the end of March, and as a result of this we are very excited that we have been given three other athletic projects.”