Callum Deboys
Callum Deboys was involved in a very serious road traffic collision whilst travelling to work in June 2017. Callum had broken both legs, ruptured his diaphragm and sustained various other serious injuries. The bone in his left leg had broken so badly that it had severed an artery, which resulted in an above knee amputation. Following a long recovery, he wanted to take his life in a new direction. This is when Callum discovered para-rowing, attending Strathclyde Rowing Club’s training sessions multiple times a week. Seeking inspiration from the Paralympics in Pyeongchang 2018, he was given the opportunity to try cross country skiing with the Armed Forces Para-Snowsport Team (AFPST). He then decided to make the move and go full time Para-Nordic Sit Skier for GB competing in both Cross Country and Biathlon. Callum has competed in Canada, Norway and Germany in World Championship races and aims to make the 2022 Beijing Winter Paralympics.
Check out Callum’s first blog about how his training has been through the Covid-19 pandemic.
Brian Murray
Brian lost his leg when he was 11 years old due to a tumour in his knee. In 2015 he started playing amputee football with Everton amputees and gained a new found confidence. In early 2016 he and the Everton players organised a taster session at Annan Athletic where they met Cor, and some of team FYF and from this, they pushed the game further in Scotland in partnership with the Partick Thistle foundation. Brian has since gone on to Captain Partick Thistle and Scotland in competitive games, travelling to Ireland, Holland and Italy to play for Scotland. He has been married for 27 years to Valerie who has also recently become a Below Knee Amputee and Brian says with his experience he will help her as much as possible to regain her strength and walk again.
Check out Brian’s first blog about his massive challenge before the Covid-19 pandemic, and how he’s been getting on since.
Martin Perry
Martin Perry is from Paisley, 24 years old, and was born with one limb. No hands and almost half of his left leg were missing at birth. The condition is known as congenital limb loss/deformity. He has been active and sporty his entire life and played a variety of sports including football, basketball, rugby and athletics before finding table tennis. After being inspired by the London 2012 Paralympic Games, Martin made the decision to give everything he had to the sport. He is now living and training in Sheffield aiming to represent Paralympics GB at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
Check out Martin’s first blog about his journey from being born with no hands and one leg, to living his best life and competing for the GB Paralympics Table Tennis Team.
Hope Gordon
Hope Gordon was diagnosed with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) following years of pain in her left leg. When the leg stopped working and started restricting her sport ambitions, Hope courageously crowdfunded for surgery and had the leg amputated in 2016. Hope was a member of the Scottish swimming team from 2010 until 2018, competing at national and international level competitions. She went on to try canoeing and was then invited to train full time with the GB para canoe team. She decided to call it a day on competitive swimming and relocated to Nottingham to commit 100% to Paracanoe and hopes to take the sport as far as she possibly can. In 2018 Hope graduated with a 2.1 Honours degree in Sport and Exercise Science from Edinburgh Napier University.
Check out GB Team Paralympic Rower Hope’s first blog about her battle with chronic pain in her leg which led Hope to choose amputation and how she’s been getting on since.