Wheelchair racer Stuart Bloor helps raise £16,000 for Weir Archer Academy

T54 Wheelchair racer Stuart Bloor has helped raise more than £16,000 for Weir Archer Academy

T54 wheelchair racer, Stuart Bloor, was one of 18 athletes from the Weir Archer Academy who have raised more than £16,000 with a wheelchair push in London.

Stuart, who lives in Alkrington, completed 42 miles of the Academy’s record-breaking 361 miles completed on the day by athletes ranging from aged seven to 38.

He said: “It was brilliant. We broke the world record target by over 100 miles and raised over £16,000 for the academy. It was an amazing day and some of the youth athletes really put some hard work in. I’m so proud of everyone there.”

The funds will go towards coaching courses for new coaches wanting to help the academy, plus a new storage facility for the wheelchairs. Any surplus is proposed to help support the athletes with travel and competition costs.

Stuart, who was born with spina bifida, has competed in wheelchair racing since 2011, which has seen him compete for Great Britain (GB) at the Anniversary Games, the Diamond League and internationals in Switzerland and Portugal.

He used to be in the GB squad for swimming between 2003 and 2007 until he had his leg amputated in November 2007.

The Weir Archer Academy was set up by Paralympic athlete David Weir CBE and his coach, Jenny Archer MBE in 2013. Their dream was to give sporting opportunities of every level to those with disabilities.