Norwich Event Celebrates Achievements of More Than 250 Disabled Participants
By Disabilities Correspondent
More than 250 people from across the UK and Europe took part in Able2B’s Discover Your Ability event in Norwich, celebrating personal achievements and breaking down barriers around disability.
The annual event brought together children, young people and adults with disabilities, neurological conditions and long-term health conditions for a series of physical challenges focused on teamwork and encouragement rather than competition.
Participants supported one another throughout the day, with many reaching milestones they had previously been told might not be possible.
Among them was Tommy, who suffered a global brain injury after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in his forties.
Having once been told he was unlikely to survive and would never walk or communicate again, he completed the course in his powered wheelchair before walking the final 30 to 40 metres with support.
Holly, 24, also achieved a major milestone after spending around three years in a wheelchair.
Having been unable to stand just four months earlier, she ran approximately 200 metres across the finish line.
People travelled from across the UK, Ireland and Germany to take part, including Anke, who has cerebral palsy. After experiencing severe pain and being told she needed a hip replacement, she completed the entire course using hiking poles following support from Able2B.
Eight-year-old Harry, who three years ago relied on a K-walker and lacked confidence to join in with other children, spent the day running laps alongside his teammates.
Rachael Hutchinson, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon and co-founder of Able2B, said the event showed what can happen when people are given the right support.
She said: “What made the day so special was seeing people who had only met three times before come together as a team. They arrived with different experiences, different challenges and different goals, but by the end of the event they were encouraging one another, adapting to each other’s needs and celebrating every finish line as if it were their own.”
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Jon Thaxton, former British and European boxing champion and co-founder of Able2B, said the event was about much more than completing a course.
He said: “People often ask us what success looks like, and it isn’t simply someone crossing a finish line. It’s seeing people who have so often been defined by their diagnosis become teammates, encourage one another and discover what they’re capable of.”
The event has raised more than £20,000 so far, with further donations still being received.
Able2B is now planning for Discover Your Ability 2027.
Anyone wishing to support Able2B and help create more life-changing opportunities can donate via the Discover Your Ability 2026 JustGiving page:
https://www.justgiving.com/page/able2b-directors-23?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL
