Our Story
Three
years ago I had a fall which has led to a chronic pain condition
affecting both my knees. As a result I use a wheelchair. I am seeking sponsorship for an upcoming event in Orlando, Florida.
I
do Cheerleading 'stunting' from my wheelchair. This had never been
done before. I had to fight initially to get acceptance from the
local gyms and national governing bodies but once they saw what I
had achieved in the first month of my return to the sport they soon
began take notice. I now have a team comprising myself, a ‘flyer’
and two 'spotters' for safety.
Some American coaches came to the UK
in 2010 and met with me at the national championships in Bournemouth.
They organised an invitation for my team to perform at the 2011
Cheerleading World Championships at Disney World, Orlando, Florida.
Following
the success of last year’s performance, the organisers of the 2012
World Championships (the IASF) have once again invited us to perform
(April 18th -
2nd May).
We have been working on our routine and believe we can once again
‘wow’ the crowd with an even better performance than last year. I
believe this is important as it heightens awareness of disability and
what disabled people are capable of. It also inspires other
wheelchair users to get involved in sport.
Quotes
from some of my “fansâ€:
“The
next time we have a bad competition or a bad day for that
matter...I'll remember this. As a mom of a special needs child this
really touched my heart and gave me even more hope for his future and
the goals he can still achieve even if he is restricted to a chair.
You are amazing!â€
“You
are AWESOME! I am in Japan and I saw your Video a half hour before
the earthquake hit. Once the power came back on and I saw it again to
help keep me positive and determined! Thanks!â€
I tried to avoid making this request of you guys, hoping that one of the many big businesses I've been contacting over the last couple of months would be willing to sponsor us in order to get their logo on the back of my chair. Sadly what with the recession and the Olympics no-one has been willing or able to help so I'm reaching out to you!
We HAVE to go to this event, we've been working REALLY hard to get an awesome routine together and if it means I have to sell my soul, I will be getting on a plane on the 18th April. Any and all your donations will be very gratefully received!
What We Need & What You Get
The money raised will be used to fund the flights to Orlando and accommodation while the comp is going on, for myself (Rick) and my backspot (and girlfriend) Jayme. By performing as we do I get to continue to do something that I love, I get to cheer, but more than that, we show the world that disability isn't the end to dreams, and we forge further into the future where more wheelchair users and people with mobility difficulties can cheer just like anyone else.
Any money raised over the target amount will be put aside and used to get the team to future competitions.
Even a contribution of £1 or $1 will help make this dream a reality, because if just everyone who has "liked" our Facebook page each contributed a dollar we'd be beyond our target, but to try and help things along a bit i've come up with some perks for you guys.
$1 may seem a small donation, but I know all too well, that sometimes it is all you can give. Just think however, if everyone gave $1 how soon that would reach our goal. by donating just a dollar and claiming this perk, I'll put a special thanks to you on my Facebook page, each and every one of you!
$5 donations will get your name added to a thank you list which is gonna be printed on a t-shirt we'll wear while in Florida at Worlds.
$10 will get your name on the t-shirt as above and i will also send you an "I (heart) WPSCheer" fridge magnet and personal thank you note from me on one of our postcards
$30 all of the above and your photo (sensible images only) on our website on the "extra special fans" page
$75 all of the above and a WPSCheer t-shirt with your name on the back along with the names of everyone else who's donated $5 or more.
$100 all of the above and a personal phone call or Skype call where I'll thank you over enthusiastically and you can ask me questions like "what's your favourite food?" "How do you train for partner stunt?" "which was your favourite spice girl" or anything else you can think of, and yeah you can even ask me questions about my disability if you want to ;)
$250 all of the above and your name and photo, or company name and logo, published on our website as one of our Sponsors
$300 + I'm open to suggestions, maybe you'd like a partner stunt lesson or to come over for dinner! contact me to discuss ideas before donating!
Other Ways You Can Help
Please spread the word, share the request on Facebook, ask your friends and those at your gym, see if anyone at work is willing to chip in too. Just get the word out there, returning to Worlds this year makes Wheelchair partner stunt more than just a gimmick, it makes it a reality and something that's worth keeping to give a lasting legacy for others in the future.
