Some of our top Panathletes from East Anglia enjoyed a special day at Snetterton race track, meeting a motor-racing team of injured soldiers.
Students from Albert Pye Primary in Beccles and Thomas Wolsey School in Ipswich spent the day with Team BRIT (British Racing Injured Troops) while they held a practice session at the Norfolk circuit.
The seven children were shown the specially-adapted cars that the team use for racing and heard the stories of the former servicemen who drive them. Team BRIT aim to make history by becoming the first all-disabled team to race at Le Mans.
Panathlon Chief Operating Officer Tony Waymouth, who organised the visit, said: “This was a fantastic opportunity for young disabled people in our programme to experience the thrill of a motorsport event and have a real-life experience within the environment of a motorsport driver.
“The opportunity to inspire young disabled people through being able to see what can be achieved, and how goals they never thought they were capable of achieving can be realised, is priceless. Meeting Team BRIT gave us the opportunity to showcase this.”
Team BRIT Founder Dave Player added: “These young people are facing challenges every day, in a similar way to our drivers, and we want to show them that anything is possible with the right drive, determination and support.”
George Bellinger (pictured on the left) was a keen member of the visiting party from Thomas Wolsey, while visitors from Albert Pye included our 2016 Emma Holloway Foundation Outstanding Achievement Award winner Riley Barber, as well as Jacob Chambers.
Jacob’s mother, Zellah, who is also pastoral support worker at the school, commented: “The Team BRIT guys were inspirational, with such encouragement for themselves, their team and, most importantly, our children. They really stand for everything that Panathlon offers the children.
“The children seemed in awe of what they saw and heard today, and the talk in the racing air was positively exhilarating. It was great to show the children where these people have come from and to, and to keep their drive alive whilst growing up.”
