Despite walking difficulties, Karen Foxton, 39 from Guisborough, has opened her world up to countryside peace and tranquillity thanks to an off-road mobility scooter.
Karen gets around her home and shops independently this is made possible by a TGA WHILL Model C powerchair as she has Multiple Sclerosis. A local TGA dealer, MD Mobility in Guisborough, supplied Karen with the WHILL and supported her when she got married by loaning a scooter to drive down the aisle. More recently though, Karen decided that she wanted more freedom in the local countryside and therefore required an off-road scooter. She had owned a bigger model before, however was “shook to bits” as it did not have proper suspension. With the recent lockdown, Karen became even more determined to get outdoors comfortably and safely. This led to getting a TGA Vita X. “My Vita X has added a huge new part to my life,” she said. “I’m now going places I thought I’d never get to see again after Multiple Sclerosis took hold of me. Lockdown has made me want to get out even more and now I can. I can escape into the Guisborough Hills or Roseberry Topping area. I’ve lived around here all my life but I am now discovering new tracks I can do again. “I believe it is so important to get outside, my scooter helps me forget about everything and the craziness of the world right now. If you are looking for escapism, a scooter’s the answer. I will never tire of the tranquillity of the Yorkshire countryside.” Karen found the Vita X while researching online before being recommended one by MD Mobility. After a test drive, she decided it had everything she needed, offering quality and reliability. Before buying it, she went out measuring the width of local countryside gates just to check the Vita would fit through gaps… it did. With chunky tyres and excellent suspension this scooter would give support and stability for Karen even when driving over roots and rocks. “My Vita X is a dream to drive,” she added. “I go out on my own or with my brother who is getting fit, so he’ll walk alongside me or takes his mountain bike, plus he brings his camera as a budding photographer. I always take the family dog Mojo, a two-year old red fox lab. Mojo loves running next to me when I’m driving either on or off lead - he’s got used to my scooter quickly. Having a dog gives you a reason to go out which is important. We all go places that are popular with mountain bikers and horse riders where the tracks are ideal for my tough scooter. So many people ask me questions about it, they’ve never seen anything like it before.” Karen is an advocate of the outdoors especially if you have restricted mobility for the mental health and wellbeing benefits it provides. “I now have so many possibilities when out in the countryside, getting to places you could never reach in a car,” she concludes. “Being outside on your own builds up your confidence and over time you learn techniques for tackling more challenging tracks. The comfort it gives me is superb and I regularly drive over seven miles with over half a battery charge left, even when driving up lots of steep hills. Add to this my WHILL at home and I have total mobility.”
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March 2023
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