A man who lost his arm in an horrific accident has taken the plunge for charity. Ian Mulligan, 51, swam an impressive 40 lengths in under an hour to raise funds for Wheels for All.
The charity adapts bicycles so they can be ridden by people with disabilities – like Ian. The 51-year-old lost his arm in a motorbike accident in the early 1980s when he was just 18.
But despite his injuries he can still be seen riding around Salford and cycles to work at Optical Express in the Trafford Centre .
Ian, of the Brookhouse Estate said:
“It’s a charity that is really close to my heart. I am delighted to be able to give something back to an organisation which helped me build my confidence and provide me with a route back into cycling.
“The work they do benefits the community no end and I’ll continue to fundraise for them in any way I can.
“It’s certainly been a challenge. I got told when I first got injured that I wouldn’t be able to do things – I wanted to prove everyone wrong.
“It took me a while to pull myself back together and I’ve only got one arm so I can’t train as much. The swim was killing me but I really enjoyed it.”
Hermine Briffa, from Wheels for All, said:
“Volunteer fundraising efforts, like that of Ian’s, are vital to the charity and its efforts to offer all inclusive cycling opportunities for people with a wide range of disability.
Funds help our Salford centre in a variety of ways; supporting outreach work in the community, delivering inclusive cycling taster sessions around the borough and buying new equipment.”
Ian completed the challenge at Irlam Leisure Centre and can still be sponsored at www.justgiving.com/Ian-Mulligan.
