WheelAir User
Sophie Bevan
Age: 26
Job: Student services administrator at the University of Nottingham
Condition: Cerebral Palsy
I love my job at the Uni of Nottingham helping students… and in my spare time, I am a bit of a thrill seeker. Since I’ve been in school, I have been hitting the slopes with Disability Snow Sports. I’ve actually been to California skiing with them twice! I also love power-chair football and wheelchair basketball.
I struggle with overheating in my wheelchair because of my cerebral palsy. This affects me the most when I am working and playing sports. I hate that ‘sweaty back’ feeling that is all too common on warm or busy days.
So after seeing the WheelAir on Dragons’ Den this year, I thought, what a great idea! I wanted to get the WheelAir to go into the new lightweight wheelchair I was buying, the RGK- Tiga FX. Then I applied for the WheelAir PROS program. With PROS, you basically spread the word on the WheelAir brand in exchange for a special PROS cushion (which is £200 cheaper than a regular WheelAir!).
I liked the idea of becoming a WheelAir PRO as I consider myself to be enthusiastic, sociable and a real motivator. Not only did I get my special PROS backrest, but I am part of an exciting new group of wheelchair users – I love getting involved with new, exciting initiatives like this!
The WheelAir has had such a positive impact on my life so far. I use it all the time whilst working in the office. It’s basically silent so doesn’t interrupt the flow of the day at all. Also, I can charge it easily on the go using a portable charger. I love that both the memory foam and cooling technology gives me that next level of comfort. Everyone in my office is very jealous! I can keep my cool even when dealing with a particularly stressed student!
Best of all, it keeps me sweat free! I’m loving the fact that at the touch of a button I can gently blast cold air around my back and cool down quickly which thankfully also gets rid of the sweaty back feeling – yay to #NoSweat.