They watch and I sit there and next thing my mate rocks down with my chair (see their jaws drop!)

"I had a work place accident when I was 24 years old resulting in paraplegia (12 odd years ago now). I had a quick recovery period and retrained from manual orchard work into the professional environment. I was a Case Manager at Work and Income for five years and have now worked for Workbridge full time for five years.

I have a six-year-old daughter and she is fantastic – loves riding on dads lap rather than walking!!

I was really into weight training and karate prior to my injury so after a while had a go back at karate but then discovered wheelchair basketball and still go hard out with this.  Also got back into weight training and pushing around the block to keep fit and keep the weight off!! I discovered through this that the fitter you are the more healthy you are and the more people want to interact with you, plus people love to see you out and about doing life.

My brother-in-law who is my best mate wanted to find a sport we could do so we rocked up to someone’s front lawn and bought some kayaks and got into it. Straight down to the river. Not a good idea without learning to roll etc but I lived to tell the tale. I did face an issue with no one wanting to take a para through a grade 2 certification in the river. Never mind; carry on and cane the river anyway I say!

Plus, it freaks people out when they see you rock up to your finish point and sitting there. They watch and I sit there and next thing my mate rocks down with my chair (see their jaws drop! Lol).

I have just got into hand cycling and what a blast! Its fast and an excellent workout but the freedom is just awesome, really recommend it.

Really, there is not a lot to stop you doing what you want in life except yourself, is my belief. There is certainly life after injury, and in some ways it opened doors I would never of gone through otherwise. I work in disability/injury and returning people to work but if you want to do something bad enough most things are reachable."

Shane Blows is a keen sportsman, with a number of hobbies including weight training, kayaking  pushing a 10k circuit, wheelchair basketball and hand cycling. Says Shane, "Yes its hard to fit it all in but its worth it." Amongst his numerous achievements, Shane also won his first kayak race last year – Twin Rivers in Blenheim (5k down river and 18k’s up river!!).