BF recently attended the Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH) Get Active event, getting patients and their families active by introducing them to fencing.
The GOSH Get Active is an annual opportunity for patients going through treatment to explore a variety of activities. Reflecting on 2024’s event, organiser and Clinical Specialist Physiotherapist Lucy Waller, notes:
“It can be difficult for children to stay active during cancer treatment, especially if they’re in hospital for long periods without as much space and energy to run and play.
“But even a small amount of physical activity can boost their physical and mental recovery, and so this event is about giving families the confidence to give it a try. We’ll often hear families say I had no idea my child could do this, and go on to plan things like family badminton tournaments.
“We hope that after this event families can continue to enjoy being active, and most of all have some fun.”
This year’s event took place on the 21st June at the Lee Valley Athletics Centre, and – alongside fencing – featured sports such as climbing walls, cycling, athletics, tennis, ballet, wheelchair basketball, archery, football, cricket and inflatable slides.
Patients duelled against their relatives and carers, armed with plastic swords and masks. They also got to look at some of the metal equipment used by fencers, which was on display during the event. We also brought the SwordSeat™, allowing participants to get a taste of seated fencing.
We were joined by Paralympic medallist Oliver Lam-Watson, who helped to coach participants. He also did a social media takeover of the event on the BF Instagram account, the highlights of which can be seen here.
Fitness coach Joe Wicks, who hosted a workout for everyone at the beginning of the event, also took part in some fencing with his son.
Rick Rodgers, BF Inclusion Manager (Disability), said:
“Throughout my career, I’ve had the honour of supporting GOSH several times before, including cheerleading, circus performances and participation activities. It’s great to have been able to support the hospital again, bringing the joy of swordplay to these children and their families with BF and our SwordSeat.”
We’d like to thank the volunteers who helped us throughout the day, and also GOSH for organising a brilliant event.
Don’t miss the latest news. Subscribe to our weekly summary email, The Fencing Digest, featuring the previous week’s latest news and announcements. Sign up here.
