Tuesday 18 September 2012

A spa fit for a Paralympian

Ragdale Hall
Ragdale Hall's Thought Zone
 
Claire lighting the flame
Claire lighting the flame
Being someone that isn’t that into watching sport on TV, I found myself truly engrossed in the Olympics and yes, I agree the Olympics was truly inspirational and we’re very lucky that we have experienced it on home turf during our lifetime! However, whilst watching the Paralympics the same thought kept crossing my mind over and over again – these people are something else!

The amazing things the Paralympians achieve with the huge obstacles that have been put in their way due to serious injuries, illnesses and being born with physical disabilities, is absolutely awe inspiring.

The sheer determination of the superhuman contestants made what they achieved in The Games look effortless. By competing in the Paralympics proves that they face life with a ‘can do’ attitude and do not let their disabilities stand in the way of their everyday activities – a positive outlook on life that I’m sure, if adopted, many of us could benefit from!

Claire Lomas, our very own local superhuman, described as the Bionic Lady, was paralysed from the waist down in a riding accident in 2007. Claire now wears a re-walk suit that uses motion sensors and onboard computers to help her walk and even climb stairs.

Claire has displayed incredible determination, and certainly has a can-do attitude in everyway possible, proven by her completing the London Marathon this year. It took Claire 17 days and along the route she was supported by her husband Dan, her parents, and her daughter Maisie as well as several high-profile celebrities, sports stars and TV personalities.

To highlight Claire’s amazing achievements she was invited to light the Paralympic flame in London.

Claire is a huge spa fan and feels time at a spa helps her truly relax, something which isn’t always possible at home. Spa breaks enable her to completely switch off and unwind.

Claire is an Ambassador of Spabreaks.com’s Spa for All initiative, launched on 28th August 2012, which aims to make spas and spa breaks more accessible to anyone with a disability.

Claire visited Ragdale Hall recently to see how accessible Ragdale Hall is to someone with disabilities.

Read Claire’s interview following her visit below:
After the marathon challenge – which not only took me 17 days to complete but 12 weeks of training (which was very challenging and stressful at times), and also looking after my 15 month old lively girl there was nothing I needed more than a bit of relaxation at the beautiful Ragdale Hall, an opportunity for me to unwind provided by Spabreaks.com, which believe me is an unusually difficult task!

A friendly, relaxed atmosphere instantly made me feel at ease and in the mood for taking time out from the hectic lifestyle so many of us live. My friend and I had a tour of the facilities which blew me away, totally stunning and so many different areas to explore. Even better is the fact I could use so many of the heat rooms, I could get my wheelchair in and easily transfer on to the more comfortable seats. We really enjoyed using the thermal experience before our treatment. After that we had a half hour facial which was bliss; the treatment rooms are gorgeous, and the couches could even be lowered making it easier for me to get on to them!

We enjoyed a delicious, healthy lunch followed by a yummy slice of cake as well.
The whole experience was faultless, and as a result I left refreshed and ready to start more intense bike training for my next challenge cycling from London to Paris. I find I just can’t get this kind of relaxation at home – to turn off your mobile phone and laptop, and not have anyone disturbing you is a real treat – it was so easy for me to get around too! The only thing I could have wished for was more time there! I am already thinking about my next spa day!

Click here to view Ragdale Hall’s Disabled Guest Info


(EDITOR: This article was kindly supplied by Vicki Taylor)

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