Death-defying South Anston man given six per cent chance of survival in horror crash rebuilds life with F1-inspired wheelchair

A 51-year-old man from South Anston has regained off road independence with an F1-inspired Trekinetic powered wheelchair after surviving a life-threatening motorcycling accident.
Gordon Swift from South Anston was given just a six per cent chance of survival in a motorbike crash- but pulled through, and is now rebuilding his life.Gordon Swift from South Anston was given just a six per cent chance of survival in a motorbike crash- but pulled through, and is now rebuilding his life.
Gordon Swift from South Anston was given just a six per cent chance of survival in a motorbike crash- but pulled through, and is now rebuilding his life.

Gordon Swift was born and bred in South Yorkshire and lives in between Worksop and Sheffield with his wife.

Before his accident, Gordon enjoyed 27 years at a machine engineering business, beginning as an apprentice in 1982 and working his way up to works manager.

Gordon was responsible for a team who machined vehicle components including parts for the Ministry of Defence.

This was a career he was thoroughly enjoying until being hit by an out-of-control oncoming car when riding his Yamaha 1,000cc motorbike.

Since this significant life-changing accident in June 2007, Gordon has focused on rebuilding his life and remaining as independent as possible – his ownership of a Trekinetic GTE from Recare is helping him achieve this goal.

Gordon lives with severely restricted mobility due to the many injuries he sustained.

With only a 6 per cent chance of survival, Gordon managed to pull through this horrendous ordeal and begin a long road to recovery.

He has undergone multiple reconstructive surgeries on both arms and his right leg, including amputation below the knee.

This resulted in Gordon using prosthetics to walk since December 2007 – but problems with recent equipment and further medical complications have reduced his abilities to a few metres before pain becomes a barrier.

An indoor electric wheelchair was providing mobility at home however was not suitable for outdoor use, especially along off-road trails in the countryside.

Family-run rehabilitation and mobility equipment distributor Recare stepped in to help, with Gordon given a test drive of a Trekinetic GTE powerchair.

As soon as Gordon sat in the GTE he knew it was the solution for him.

Gordon said: “Ray from Recare brought a Trekinetic GTE for me to try; it was amazing to sit in. I immediately knew it was what I needed. The camber on the wheels and rear suspension made a huge difference to the stability of it even on rough ground.

"As I used to be an engineer, I really appreciate the quality – it is so well made. I have a Scorpion 3 kit car in the garage at home so know all about carbon fibre. It is a brilliant material which is used so well in the GTE. Makes it so lightweight and manoeuvrable.”

Within two weeks of GTE ownership Gordon had already managed to visit his son in North Anston using his powerchair.

Between South and North Anston there is a substantial hill which had always been an impossible barrier to overcome in a manual chair. With the power and performance of the GTE Gordon was able to drive there ‘without any complaints, my chair simply sailed up the slope’.

Gordon and his wife plan to visit Derbyshire now that they have the means to enjoy countryside rambles together.

Gordeon added: “Returning to Derbyshire and having the freedom to explore will be special for me.

"I have a range of up to 12 miles with my two batteries so ample for a day trip to take in the amazing scenery.

"I’m equipped with a Go Pro camera so I am planning to record my journeys. Life has changed for the better now.”

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