Motivational Case Studies
Robin Gibbons
Related tags: Adaptive
Date Added: Fri, 02 Jul 2010
In January 2001 I broke my back when my car ran off the road on black ice leaving me paralysed from the chest down. Prior to my accident I had been a fit and healthy individual who enjoyed the active outdoor lifestyle so life in a wheelchair was especially devastating. Following a year in hospital, I started serious rehabilitation. What I quickly began to realise was that my new found fitness was limited to my upper body which had serious cardiovascular consequences.
Very fortunately, I heard about an innovative new research project which was then based at Brunel University, West London. This group is now known as the FES Rowing Group under the leadership of Professor Brian Andrews, Oxford Brookes University. Essentially, the group had modified a Concept 2 Indoor Rower which enabled a person with a spinal cord injury to row much like an able bodied person. I joined the group in March 2003 and quickly realised this research exercise equipment would enable me to exercise at levels approaching those of an able bodied person in that I would be able to exercise my upper and lower body at the same time. The significance being that a demand would be placed on my cardiovascular system that would be impossible with any other exercise equipment currently available.
Concept 2 (UK) has given their unwavering support to the FES Rowing research group for many years. In fact in 2004 Concept 2 invited me and Sol, our other FES rower at that time, to take part in the British Indoor Rowing Championships in Birmingham. The FES rowing group has participated in the BIRCs ever since.
In an attempt to pass on the benefits I have personally experienced from this exercise, I initiated a project at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore to pilot this exciting exercise modality as a routinely viable public activity. This project was a complete success and resulted in laying down the basic training protocols for both users and trainers. In fact this project has resulted in the group working on a fully CE marked device for public use again based on a Concept 2 Indoor Rower. The group is also working on the development of an on-water FES rowing system.
My involvement and passion for this activity has now driven me to embark on a PhD to investigate cardiorespiratory changes in people with a spinal cord injury following FES rowing training intervention. This project will run for the next 3 years or so and will require some 45 spinal cord injured participants.
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