Glory bid boost for Norfolk archery star
Eastern Daily Press
Norfolk archery star Mel Clarke has been given a big boost as she prepares to take on the world. The 23-year-old world No 1 disabled archer from Taverham, near Norwich, was presented with a special new wheelchair. It has an e-motion control that will increase her mobility and give her a more stable platform from which to fire her arrows and hopefully give her the edge over her opponents. The wheelchair will be put to its first big test this weekend in Italy, where she will be competing in the World Disabled Archery Championships - after the honour of carrying the Union Flag in the opening ceremony. The presentation was made at the Proclaimers Church, Hellesdon High School, and followed a fund-raising campaign led by church member Sandra Gill. The original appeal target was £5000, enough money to buy the wheelchair, but a total of £8251 was raised, providing additional funds to support Mel's travelling and equipment expenses.
Norwich-based Able Community Care set the fund-raising ball in motion with a £1000 donation.
The company also launched a 52p appeal, encouraging people to give a minimum of one penny a week for a year to the fund, and that raised over £800.
Other highlights included £2600 from a ladies evening organised by Sandra Gill, Gillian Crossland and Gill Greengrass; £750 from Barclays Bank; over £800 from a quiz night; and £322 in sponsorship from Dennis Bartram, who ran the Brandon half-marathon.
“The wheelchair is absolutely fantastic,” said Mel. “It means that I will use less energy getting around and will be able to focus all my attention on the archery.
“I am delighted to have been invited to carry the flag at the World Championships' opening ceremony, and will do all I can to win gold for Great Britain, Norwich and Norfolk. Thank you so much to everyone who has contributed to Sandra Gill's appeal.”
Sandra Gill said: “Mel is an inspirational person. She has pressed forward following great difficulties with wonderful determination. We wish her luck in Italy and hope that the wheelchair will help her win gold.”
Mel, who took up archery over six years ago, has been wheelchair-bound since the age of 11.
She has a form of arthritis called reflex sympathetic dystrophy. Two years ago she contracted Lyme disease, a near-fatal disease which left her paralysed from the waist down and blind in the right eye.
Mel won gold at the European Disabled Archery Championships in Poland in 2002. She represented the full UK women's team in June 2003 at the XVI Golden Arrow Grand Prix in Antalya, Turkey and won a silver medal.
She currently holds 20 county records, 10 national able-bodied records and six International Paralympic Committee world records. Her main ambition is to represent the UK at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics.
