As a trustee of the Percy Hedley Foundation and chairman of the disability charity’s adult services committee, David Burdus joined 80 other fund-raisers to take on his own version of a fire walk on the Gateshead Quayside.
The disability access specialist, who was left paralysed from the waist down more than 30 years ago following a motorbike crash when he was just 21, fitted solid tyres to his titanium sports chair to take on the challenge last Thursday.
“I think it’s a first and it certainly got the adrenaline going a bit,” said David, who has already raised £150 for the charity.
“I’ve been a trustee for three years now and rather than just swanning around at board level I thought it was time to get my tyres dirty!”
Having fitted his chair with solid tyres to remove the possibility of normal air-filled tyres exploding, David wore silicone gloves to push his wheels through the coals.
The event was set up and managed by UK Firewalk outside the Baltic.
“I did some training in gravel because I thought it was best to wheelie my way through it so the front tyres didn’t bed in,” explained David.
“The atmosphere was fantastic with plenty of passers-by stopping to see what was going on and there were lots of cheers every time someone walked over.”
Through a range of services for children and adults with disabilities, the Percy Hedley Foundation works to enable independence and achievement for those it supports.
There’s still time to leave a donation online at www.justgiving.com/David-Burdus
Footage of David in action can be found in the video section of www.hexham-courant.co.uk
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