Jane Sowerby

CEO

After sustaining a spinal injury in 2003, Jane found adaptive skiing and was instantly hooked. In 2010 she represented Team GB at the Winter Paralympics in Vancouver. She now works as an adaptive ski instructor and adaptive waterski instructor.  She's also a keen wakeboarder, kayaker, kiter & handbiker.  

Jane believes passionately that sport can have a powerful positive impact following a life changing injury. Her sense of achievement these days comes from introducing other people with disabilities to adaptive sport, and hopes they will benefit in the same way she did.

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Jane, Clare & Tim met through the British Disabled Waterski & Wakeboard Association, volunteered with them for many years, and founded Access Adventures together in 2015.

Clare Williams

Operations Manager

Clare is a physiotherapist, specialising in spinal injury and amputation, most recently working at a rehabilitation centre for injured military at Standford Hall (was Headley Court).  

Clare is an adaptive waterski instructor and adaptive yoga teacher. She believes that engaging with outdoor activities is important to attain a healthy body and mind.  

Clare is also crazy enough to have done the Ironman challenge. 3 times! In 2019 she also successfully completed an official English channel swim.

Tim Farr

Fundraising Manager

Tim broke his back on a skiing trip in 2004 - just one year later and he was back on the slopes. Also a Paralympic racer on the British Disabled Ski Team for several years, he's now strictly a powder hound! A great waterskier, handcyclist, kiter and general adaptive adventurer.

Tim specialises in corporate fundraising in the charity sector.

Caite Skelly

Site Manager

Caite has been involved in the watersports industry her whole life. Her family started an accessible Waterski School in 1996 in Northern Ireland. Caite started waterskiing at the age of 3 and at the age of 9 learnt how to barefoot, going on to gain the title of All Ireland Champion.

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Caite is an experienced boat driver and paddlesports coach. She is passionate about making watersports accessible for all!

Melissa Swinkels

Trustee

Mel comes from a background in the charity sector and shares our belief in the power of adaptive sport. Despite damaging her spinal cord at C7 in 2001, she has gone on to prove what can still be achieved with a high level injury. 

Mel has been a strong supporter of the charity from the start and we're excited to work with her to continue driving things forward.

Gordon Bloor

Trustee

Gordon’s involvement as a volunteer with the British Disabled Waterski & Wakeboard Association stretches back for over 30 years. He has served as a Trustee on a number of occasions and historically ran the tournament division supporting the British Team in its many successful European and World championship campaigns.  He re-joined the board of trustees in 2016 at the request of the chairman.

He is fully supportive of the progressive developments underway and has helped define the strategy for the merger of the BDWWA with Access Adventures. 

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Professionally, Gordon’s career has been City based serving as a CEO and Director of a number of Companies and he also serves as a Trustee of a non-related charity, Benevolent Society of Blues.

Stephanie Kaye

Trustee

Stephanie joined BDWWA initially as Membership Secretary and progressed on to become a Trustee in 2017.

With a background in Human Resouces Consultancy/Change Management, she has worked for several retail companies both here and in the USA.  She also spends time working as a Special Educational Needs Governor for a Multi Academy Trust and is an experienced Peer to Peer Counsellor.

A busy Mum with 3 boys (one with ASD) she came to a group day with her sons over 10 years ago and still enjoys all the challenges that being an active part of Access Adventures brings.

“I’ve always felt like I want to give something back to our amazing charity as a thank you for all the wonderful opportunities that they have brought to my family and for the smiles that they have put on so many other faces."

Duncan White

Trustee

Duncan has always had a passion for sports, in his youth he was a competitive gymnast and  also a keen skateboarder.

Since a spinal cord injury, in 2004, he has recreationally snow skied and handcycled for many years.

He was first involved with Access Adventures as a participant on a waterskiing weekend in 2018. A year later he travelled to Norway for the 'IWWF World Disabled Waterski Championships' with team GB, finishing 3rd in the team event.

He is passionate about the impact that this charity has made in his life, and is excited to be made a trustee, with the opportunity to inspire others.

Chris Nicoll

Trustee

Chris first volunteered at Heron Lake over 15 years ago, and has been a summer regular there as well as attending various UK outward bound courses and the infamous Access ski trips. With an ever increasing back catalogue of sporting injuries he knows how debilitating even a temporary injury can be, so understands and appreciates the importance of exercise, the outdoors and the benefits of water in its various forms.  

Professionally Chris is a Chartered Surveyor and spends his days either chained to a desk in the West End or preferably driving around the UK buying big logistics sheds. Domestically he has two disobedient teenage boys, two feral dogs, a wife well out his league and a never ending list of chores, hence his automatic acceptance to any invite to volunteer & travel.

Becky Newham

Trustee

Becky is registered blind and has a younger brother with autism. She has worked in the charity sector for over 14 years in both service delivery and fundraising. She is a fundraising specialist with experience of developing and delivering strategies for all major income streams. 

Becky is passionate about challenging perceptions of disability and the mission of Access Adventures. And although not a Paralympian, she loves being physically active through yoga, Pilates and high intensity training and has tandem cycled across both Spain and England.

Brendan Fairclough

Ambassador

We're pleased to introduce our very first ambassador - Brendan Fairclough is a professional mountain biker living the dream!

Sharing a love of extreme sports, we can’t wait to get him involved in some of our adaptive adventures to help raise awareness. We’re super grateful for his recent generous donation and support

His YouTube channel is awesome too - check it out!