An event which celebrates what people can do, not what they can’t has been arranged on December 3rd and will form part of the UK’s biggest mass participation disability sports event. The Winter Wonder-wheels event which is being arranged in association with Marvel celebrates what makes people different and how all individuals should be treated as equals with support given when and where necessary. The occasion will include a flourish and a flurry of fake snow on Sunday December 7th alongside Dorney Lake in Windsor.

Included will be the ultimate Superhero Santa Dash for the disabled community and their families. This will help to make the event more inclusive and be a way of avoiding the risk of any form of isolation which is what many disabled people suffer from during festive periods. Participants will be invited to cycle, run, walk, wheel, push or be pushed to complete their chosen distance. This could be either 1km, 5km or 10km.

Those who are a little less able than others will be able to use adaptive kit and support from sidekicks to assist them in covering the whole distance. There will also be no cut off times and all types of gadgets and gizmos are welcome on the course. This includes day chairs, handcycles and trikes to tandems, race runners and bikes.

“At this time of year there are plenty of opportunities for people to dress up and be active but there are few, if any, options for people with disabilities to do the same,” says Sophia Warner, founder of the Superhero Series including Winter Wonder-wheels. “Winter Wonder-wheels enables people with disabilities to celebrate the season with their families and friends. It gets everyone in the festive mood which is what it’s all about.”

Who can enter Winter Wonder wheels?
That depends on the chosen mission.
Participants entering a solo mission must consider themselves to have a disability of any kind. Anyone can enter as a team, as long as at least one member of the team considers themselves to have a disability of any kind.

Challenge distances:
• The Lakeside Dash – 1km
• Once Round the Lake – 5km
• Twice Round the Lake – 10km

Key facts
An estimated 1.3 billion people experience significant disability. This represents 16% of the world’s population, or 1 in 6 of us.
Some persons with disabilities die up to 20 years earlier than those without disabilities.
Persons with disabilities have twice the risk of developing conditions such as depression, asthma, diabetes, stroke, obesity or poor oral health.
Persons with disabilities face many health inequities.
Persons with disabilities find inaccessible and unaffordable transportation 15 times more difficult than for those without disabilities.
Health inequities arise from unfair conditions faced by persons with disabilities, including stigma, discrimination, poverty, exclusion from education and employment, and barriers faced in the health system itself.

Social determinants of health: Poverty, exclusion from education and employment, and poor living conditions all add to the risk of poor health and unmet health care needs among persons with disabilities. Gaps in formal social support mechanisms mean that persons with disabilities are reliant on support from family members to engage in health and community activities, which not only disadvantages them but also their caregivers (who are mostly women and girls).

Events such as this will help disabled people maintain contact with their friends, family and peer group. This will enable them to have some form of social contact during the festive season and be able to maintain good mental health. More events similar to this should be arranged in the future to enable disabled people to keep contact with any connections they build.

To find out more and enter visit https://superheroseries.co.uk/winter-wonderwheels-2025