warrior’s sporting ambitions

Dan black belt students Hugh GangeHarris, who now uses a wheelchair after a cycling accident.

“It is almost a pure adaption of our ablebodied syllabus with many small adjustments and only a few major replacements and was aimed at our classes being all inclusive.

“Obviously, no footwork is required by a wheelchair user, so hand grappling techniques are the focus here.

“However, the wheelchair user has one major advantage over able bodied practitioners – that is a low centre of gravity which generates a great deal more power, and something able bodied students try to achieve by using a lower bodily stance.”

When Philip is not challenging himself – and others – at Hapkido class he spends a lot of time on the water with the charity Chesil Sailability. Philip and his sailing partner Tom Hepburn race in a two-person Hansa 303 vessel and have won three major UK championships

– The National Championships on Carsington Waters in Derbyshire, The Royal Yachting Association

Sailability Multiclass on Rutland Waters, and the National Series of one-day Traveller Trophy events throughout the country. Philip said: “Now Tom and I are bringing on new sailors from Chesil Sailability to get involved in racing and they are getting bitten by the racing bug. It’s great fun meeting up with the familiar competitors at events around the country. “They’re friends on the shore but they’re our archrivals out on the water.”

Extra beds on way to hospital

Dorset County Hospital’s A&E and critical care units are set to share in the government’s £20bn fund –with a new ED increasing beds from 64 to 72 from 2025.

The new critical care unit will have space for 24 beds. Both units are to be built on part of the site of the former Damers School. Initial work is already underway.

Welcoming the news, West Dorset MP Chris Loder said: “Around 300,000 people across the west of Dorset receive emergency and planned care at the current site, but increased demand and population is putting pressure on services.”