TAAS gets Olympic fever!

Our summer of sport is well underway and with the Olympics less than two months away, support in Team GB and interest in London 2012 is reaching fever pitch.

Rebecca Adlington, Chris Hoy, Beth Tweddle, Jessica Ennis – all names that the British public are becoming very familiar with as the Olympics come further as we pin our hopes of victory on them.

Each member of Team GB who wins a gold medal will be rightfully applauded and heralded as a hero.

But amongst all the fuss and fanfare of the Games, remarkable stories are also emerging about heroic members of the public.

Take for instance Tony Woodhouse. Tony lost his leg in a motorcycle accident in 2010. Determined not to dwell on what he has lost, he has instead turned in accident into a positive and began fundraising for The Air Ambulance Service (TAAS) after we treated him on the scene of the horrific incident. As a result of his fundraising efforts, Tony was nominated to carry the Olympic torch and will do so on 2nd July through his home town of Rugby, something he is looking forward to greatly:

“It is such an honour to carry the torch. I want the day to be a special one for my family, friends and colleagues who have supported me so much over the last two years. I also want to use the opportunity to raise awareness of the fantastic work that The Air Ambulance Service does every day. Without them, I would not be here today and I will be forever grateful for this.”

Tony is not the only supporter of TAAS who will be carrying the torch.

Today, Martin Handley will carry the torch through the streets of Ashbourne.

Martin’s son and wife were involved in a road accident in 2010, attended to by TAAS. Tragically, his son lost his life. However, Martin has set about fundraising for the Charity, and was nominated to carry the torch by a friend because of his fundraising efforts.

Here at TAAS, we’re incredibly proud of both Martin and Tony – they are both fully deserved of a stint carrying the torch, and we’re extremely grateful for the support that they show us despite the challenges they have faced in their lives.

We’re also pleased for our Ambassador James Toseland (double World Superbike champion) who will be carrying the torch on its final stint in Derbyshire today, and lighting an Olympic cauldron at Darley Abbey Park.

Our shops will also be getting involved in Olympic celebrations. There will be Olympic theme shop displays and our volunteers will be on hand to give out TAAS ponchos to those watching the torch relay in case of bad weather.

So if you’re off to watch the Olympic torch as it visits your town over the next few days, make sure you give an extra loud cheer for Martin, Tony and James! All of them doing their bit to ensure our lifesaving service remains in the skies.