Reels On Wheels

Nick Rowe

Knows No Barrier

The Aims of Reels on Wheels
:: The primary aim is to help the disabled and those needing assistance to return to fishing. Nationally we will collect and collate names and contact numbers of people needing our help and assistance, and people willing to give that assistance. These will be cross referenced and introduced through the "Buddy" system register.
:: The secondary aim is to offer advice and guidance in general to fisheries and venues in regards to access and suitability for the disabled angler. Where appropriate we will refer them to an appropriate advisory agency in their area.
:: The third aim is to (where ever possible) promote angling as a healthy, beneficial pastime for everyone, regardless of experience or ability. This will be done by supporting less privileged groups enabling them to participate in organised events. This will be done by offering to conduct "Angling for all" seminars to schools and youth clubs. By offering to conduct "Angling for all - It can be done" seminars and demonstrations to disabled clubs and associations.

Nick Rowe

About Nick Rowe:

I would like to introduce you to an amazing man who won’t take no for an answer. Nick Rowe, ex circus performer, ex stuntman, ex deep water diver and now a wheelchair using angler.

When Nick, who has severe osteoarthritis, found that his passion for angling was being thwarted by his disability he didn’t sit around saying “I can’t do that anymore” he decided his mantra should now be “there is no such word as can’t” and enrolled his wife (and carer) and friends to help him get to the waters edge.

Thinking that others may need similar help to get back to the waters edge Nick founded the charitable organisation Reels On Wheels. Whose primary aim is to get less/disabled anglers back to the waters edge, with over 200 anglers helped so far. Many successful events for all abilities have been held over the past three years and many more planned for this year. He is also a motivational speaker, a very unorthodox one in the way he goes about it, but a very good one none the less.

As if to prove to others that there is nothing you cannot do if you put your mind to it, Nick who is based in Cornwall and at the grand age of 58 has managed to gain a place in probably the most prestigious and hardest carp fishing competition in the World, the six day long World Carp Classic. This event is fished on a huge 2700 acre lake in North East France, it is not disabled friendly in the least but Nick wants to prove that your disability should not create barriers to following your dreams.

I think you will agree that this is an amazing man and his ideas and dreams make a great human interest story, perhaps in stages through the year as his preparation progresses and the various events take place.

From Nick:

Hi! I’m Nick – a disabled angler from Cornwall, UK. I’ve been passionate about angling since I was 5 years old and that’s over 50 years now! I became a wheelchair user about 10 years ago and suffered from bouts of depression because I thought my whole life was over… not uncommon, believe me. I wasn’t allowed to stay like that though (my wife saw to that!) and I started doing all the things I’d always done, just from a different perspective. I got seriously pissed off hearing people tell me that I couldn’t do things I wanted to do just because I’m in a wheelchair – so I do them anyway, if I can! I’m a man on a mission….

I started writing because I got fed up of looking for info. on fishing for disabled anglers on the great WWW and really irritated at the lack of resources. So I decided to do something about it: I have built a website called “Reels on Wheels” as a resource for people like me who want to fish and can’t find suitable venues; I also have a normal blog (http://disabledangler.wordpress.com/ ) and a Diary ( www.disable-angler.com ) I’m planning to visit as many fisheries around the country to see where I can fish and what the fishing’s like;

About Reels on Wheels

Reels on Wheels is not a charity (YET!). It is a ’self-funded’ organisation which Nick & Rosie hope will become a Registered Charity in the not too distant future. All the documents for the Charitites Commission’s application form are being assembled with help from legal experts and our dynamic duo at Freebird Design Ltd. It is dependent on the generosity of like-minded people who support the Buddy System concept.

WE ALL Wish Nick and Rosie Great Success ! We look forward to following his progress as he hits the waterways.