THURSDAY, 9 JUNE, 2016

PHOTO ATTACHED: L-R PRE REGISTRATION CLINICAL SCIENTIST MEGAN BOLTON, ALEXANDER JOHNSTONE AND CLINICAL SCIENTIST AIDAN O’BRIEN WITH TAYSIDE DYNAMOS’ TROPHIES

Tayside Dynamos Powerchair Football Club thank TORT Centre for support

Tayside Dynamos Powerchair Football Club has thanked the Tayside Orthopaedic Rehabilitation Technology (TORT) Centre at Ninewells for helping the team to league and cup success.

Ninewells assistant estates manager Garry Johnstone’s son Alexander was one of the first players to join the club when it was set up around three years ago and Garry soon took over coaching the team.

Alexander has cerebral palsy and cannot use his legs or arms. Thanks to TORT, his specially-designed powerchair allows him to take part in powerchair football by giving him the ability to control the speed, direction and seat position.

The staff at TORT continue to support Alexander with little adjustments and improvements to his chair and support the rest of the team, having all the chairs set up to be the best they can be for powerchair football.

Since forming, Tayside Dynamos have won the SFA Scottish Cup, the Scottish Powerchair Challenge Cup and have just retained the Scottish National Powerchair League title for the second year. To say thank you to the staff at TORT, Alexander visited the centre to show off the club’s trophies.

Garry Johnstone said, “TORT has had a large part to play in the Dynamos’ success. Before the formation of the club the players mainly viewed their powerchairs as a mobility device essential to their everyday lives. To see them all start to have fun in their chairs and be able to take part in a competitive sport at a national level was very special indeed.”

The club is open to wheelchair users of all ages and anyone interested in joining can contact taysidedynamos@sky.com or facebook.com/TaysideDynamosPowerchairFootballClub.

Contact:

Louise Wilson

NHS Tayside Communications, (01382) 740718