Firefighters helped a paraplegic Paralympic athlete whose bike overturned on a notorious steep hill near Lofthouse today.
On call firefighters from Lofthouse, near Pateley Bridge, were called to Trapping Hill at 11.56am.
North Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service‘s incident report said the unnamed athlete’s adapted recumbent bicycle “overturned while descending a steep hill after the tyre popped off the rim”.
The report added:
“Crew transferred male to a local farmer’s vehicle who then returned him to his adapted van.
“Male then returned to the scene where crew were able to secure his bike in his vehicle.”
With its stunning scenery and steep gradient, Trapping Hill is a popular but highly challenging route for cyclists.
A family needed rescuing from Trapping Hill in December last year when their car got stuck on black ice.
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Baroness Masham dies aged 87
Baroness Masham, who was a the longest-serving female member of the House of Lords ever, Paralympian medallist and disability rights campaigner, has died aged 87.
She died peacefully in hospital in Northallerton on Sunday.
Born Susan Sinclair on April 14, 1935, she became a wheelchair user after injuring her spinal cord in a riding accident in 1958.
In 1959 she married David Cunliffe-Lister, who became Earl of Swinton in 1972, to become Lady Masham.
She served as a cross-bench peer for 53 years after becoming Baroness Masham of Ilton in 1970.
Baroness Masham was the aunt of Mark Cunliffe-Lister, the 4th Earl of Swinton and husband of Felicity Cunliffe-Lister, who was elected as a Liberal Democrat to the Masham and Fountains division on North Yorkshire County Council this year in a by-election caused by the death of Conservative councillor Margaret Atkinson.
Baroness Masham won medals in swimming and table tennis at the 1960, 1964 and 1968 Paralympic games.
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In 1974 she founded the Spinal Injuries Association and remained its president until her death.
The association, which announced her death today, said it was “devastated to have lost our greatest champion”, adding she was “the reason we have been able to champion, fight, serve and support thousands of spinal cord injured people”.
Baroness Masham was the subject of an episode of This Is Your Life in 1976.
She belonged to various parliamentary committees and last spoke in the House of Lords on February 2 this year.
Guy Tweedy, a Harrogate thalidomide campaigner and trustee of Disability Action Yorkshire who met Baroness Masham many times, said:
“Baroness Masham was a formidable woman. She was a trailblazer for disability rights, along with Lord Morris of Manchester and Baron Ashley of Stoke.
“Without the work of those three we wouldn’t be where we are today with disability rights.”
Harrogate student Emily Holder aims for Paralympic gold
A student at Harrogate College is aiming for wheelchair fencing gold on the back of her debut for Great Britain at the International Wheelchair and Amputee Sport Federation‘s World Cup in Italy.
Emily Holder, 17, is already competing at the top tier in the UK having won a medal at the national championships. She balances her fencing with studies for a BTEC in business at Harrogate College, which she will finish this year.
Emily regularly travels to Milton Keynes for training sessions, so juggling her two workloads has been far from easy. She said:
“This course has been a good choice for me and in terms of the college being flexible to let me continue my fencing and training, it’s been really great.
“The staff have been very helpful and understanding. Although we haven’t been going to too many things, because of covid, when it has come to me having to take time to attend training and fencing competitions, they’ve been really good.”
Emily has cerebral palsy and her mobility varies depending on her chronic pain, spasticity (muscle tightness) and dystonic (involuntary muscle contraction) levels. She uses a crutch or an electric wheelchair but on good days can manage without.
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With little to no funding available, Emily’s family has supported her in buying the necessary equipment to compete, including £4,000 on a specialist wheelchair. Meanwhile, Emily also remains dedicated to her studies, and is looking to study business management or human resources at university next year.
Harrogate College business student Emily Holder
Tutors have praised her as a “fantastic role model”, while course leader David Gaunt said she was “very conscientious and always prioritises her grades”.
Emily, who lives in North Rigton, began fencing in 2013 after attending a disability sports festival before joining Harrogate Fencing Club. She now trains across the UK, from Milton Keynes to York to Durham.
To support or sponsor Emily, please email emilyholder43@yahoo.com.
For more information about wheelchair fencing click here.