Arron's Dirt Buggy Challenge
Former Basildon RFC full back Arron Williams is a shining example of triumph over adversity having put his life back together again following a catastrophic spinal cord injury.
The 29 year-old is certainly not one for feeling sorry for himself and thanks to all the support he's received from his parents, local business and the Rugby Football Unions Injured Players Fund (IPF) he's now totally engrossed in a long-held passion of his for dirt buggy riding.
Arron, unfortunately, suffered a broken neck in a tackle during the final minutes of the opening match of the 2007/08 season against South Woodham Ferrers but, having been hospitalised and dealt with the initial trauma of such a life-changing accident, he's been able to throw himself whole-heartedly into his new sport.
"It started two-and-a-half years ago when I bought a real cheap buggy on E-Bay,' he recalls. "It had no suspension and was really rubbish but I didn't want to spend a lot of money if I couldn't do anything with it.'
However that's when his association with Benfleet based engineering firm Elmsleigh Engineering began to flourish and they were able to fix hand-controls to the buggy and where Arron could use them comfortably.
"Mind you for the first three months I spent more time getting used to strapping my legs up in the right place and just exactly how to get in and out of it,' he says. "Eventually I got there but then, as it had absolutely no suspension, even going across a flat field it hurt my neck and it was so painful to drive.'
"I knew it was the buggy that was letting me down and that's when I approached the RFU Injured Players Foundation to see if they could help with some funding.'
It was certainly a challenging request and provoked a lot of debate in the trustee Grant Making Committee but the RFU's IPF had no qualms in granting Arron £9,000 towards the cost of an adapted dirt buggy.
As the governing bodies Client Support Executive Tim Bonnet explains: - "The IPF always tries to support injured players who want to challenge themselves in sport or in other endeavours. This was an unusual request but the project shows what can be achieved by an individual with the determination to push the envelope and a bit of financial help from us.
"It is also great that many of the people assisting Arron are old playing mates from his club – the rugby family working together at its best."
Arron's buggy is now tailor-made for him so that he can drive it with ease and he remains a familiar face at the Action Park in Wickford, just a few miles away from his home, where he and his mates, both able-bodied and disabled, get together several times a week.
"It's been a pretty intense couple of years but I now turn up and my friends put me in the buggy and strap me in,' explains Arron. "I've certainly got a lot stronger in the arms and shoulders and a lot of things to make driving easier.
"They are also extremely helpful at the Action Park and they help me set-up the buggy properly and they've really bent over backwards to help me
"I just love it and it's all going really well and I've even got a couple of my other disabled friends Chris and Mike coming along now.
But how does his mum and dad, Yvonne and Barry, view their sons burgeoning talent as a buggy driver and even one day possibly competing seriously?
"Mum's always a bit worried and she was when I was playing rugby,' says Arron. "She did come and watch me the other day but while she's not too keen she's happy to see me happy and Dad's really supportive and always has been.'
There's no doubting Arrons love for the sport and now he's even making plans to organise a Disabled Off-Road Day at the Action Park next summer to encourage others, in a similar situation, to take it up.
"Rugby and moto-cross have been a big part of my life and to have a sport I'm passionate about is very important,' sums up Arron. "I would like to say a big thank-you to Phil at Action Park, Bob at Emsleigh Engineering and to the RFU IPF who have made this all possible."
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