23rd December 2025
Written by Stu Pimblett
TASS athlete Stuart Pimblett was just nine when he was paralysed from the waist down. Here he talks about his life and how sport has given him purpose.
When I look back, it’s hard to believe how far I’ve come. Born prematurely in 1969, I started life fighting. But at nine years old, everything changed – a road traffic accident left me paralysed from the waist down. At the time it felt like the end of the world. Now, I see it as the beginning of something extraordinary.
“That accident could have broken me, but instead it gave me purpose. Sport became my lifeline.”
Finding My Way Through Sport
After months in hospital and years of disrupted schooling, I ended up at Pendower Hall School in Newcastle, a specialist school for disabled students. It was there that I discovered wheelchair basketball. At first, I wasn’t sure as before the accident I hated PE, but something clicked.
“The first time I held a basketball in a chair, I felt free. I wasn’t defined by what I couldn’t do – I was defined by what I could.”
Pendower Hall gave me more than sport. It gave me confidence, independence, and lifelong friends. I’ll never forget winning Player of the Tournament at the 1983 Junior National Games in Stoke Mandeville – the birthplace of the Paralympic movement. That moment told me: you belong here.
Breaking Barriers in Wheelchair Basketball
After leaving school in 1985, I joined the Tyneside Wanderers. Within six months, I was recruited by Milton Keynes Aces, one of the UK’s top teams. Suddenly, I was travelling the country, competing at the highest level, and loving every second.
“Basketball taught me resilience. Every game was a battle, but every win was proof that hard work pays off.”
In 1989, I got the call every athlete dreams of – I was selected for the Great Britain squad. My first game was against the USA. I scored 18 points and earned the nickname “Ice Man” from a couple of my teammates for staying cool under pressure for this competition. Over the next decade, I played in European Championships, World Games, and countless tournaments. I even joined LGS Jets at Stoke Mandeville, the heart of British wheelchair sport.
Those years were incredible – travelling, competing, and even visiting Russia to help newly liberated disabled communities after Perestroika. My basketball career spanned nearly 40 years, and later I served as a player-coach and board member of the Great Britain Wheelchair Basketball Association, helping shape the sport for future generations.
Beyond Basketball: Skiing and Global Adventures
Sport opened doors I never imagined. I learned to ski, tackling slopes across Europe – even black runs on a sit-ski. For those moments, disability disappeared.
“On the mountain, it was just me and the snow. No limits, no barriers – just freedom.”
I also attended the 1996 Paralympics in Atlanta as a spectator, followed by a road trip through the USA. Sport gave me the world, and I grabbed it with both hands.
Curling: A New Chapter
In 2010, I co-founded Northern Ice. At that time it was England’s only wheelchair curling club. It started with a snowy trip to a Scottish rink and grew into a thriving community. Curling gave me, and so many others a reason to get up every day.
“Curling isn’t just a sport. It’s a lifeline. It brings people together, gives them purpose, and proves that inclusion works.”
By 2014, I helped launch the current England Wheelchair Curling Team, leading us to international competitions. I joined the British Development Squad, then the full Para squad, chasing the dream of the Winter Paralympics, particularly Milan-Cortina 2026.
Recent years have been a whirlwind. In 2023, Sport England backed the English wheelchair curling squad with a major grant to move from B to A division, a goal we smashed in 2024. I’ve represented England at World Championships and Mixed Doubles events in Vancouver and South Korea, finishing in the top ten. And in 2025 I competed at the World Wheelchair Curling Championships on Scottish soil, a dream come true. Winning the Sportsmanship Award was the icing on the cake.
Living Every Day to the Full
Looking back, I’m proud – not just of the medals, but of the impact. Northern Ice has changed lives. Curling is unique: disabled and able-bodied players competing together at the highest level. That’s inclusion in action.
“If my story proves anything, it’s this: sport changes lives. It builds resilience, creates friendships, and shows that with determination, anything is possible.”
I still face challenges every day, but I choose to live life to the full. My accident didn’t end my life – it gave me a new one. And I’ll keep pushing, keep playing, and keep inspiring others to do the same.
