Wheelchair fencing coach and former international athlete Viv Mills is gearing up for this year’s Winter Wonderwheels, taking on the challenge to raise vital funds for WheelPower and The Sabre Trust.
Viv’s journey into disability sport began after a life-changing spinal cord injury sustained in 1997 while serving as a police superintendent. Following years of rehabilitation, she found herself searching for a new sporting passion, one that could match the thrill of her previous cricket and hockey days.
That spark came in 2008 while watching the Beijing Paralympics. “I spotted two Chinese gentlemen beating the living daylights out of each other” Viv recalls. “I thought, I have no idea what that is, but I need some of it in my life!”
The sport was wheelchair fencing – sabre, to be precise, and within months Viv had joined a local club. At 54, she launched her competitive career and quickly rose through the ranks, becoming British Sabre Champion later that year. By 2010 she was representing Great Britain on the international stage.
Although forced to retire from competition in 2012 on medical advice, Viv refused to step away from the sport she loved. Instead, she moved into coaching, determined to support the next generation of fencers. But when UK Sport funding for wheelchair fencing was withdrawn after London 2012, the future of the sport looked uncertain.
In response, Viv took action. She invested her own savings to establish The Sabre Trust, a charity dedicated to providing small grants for disabled people who want to train, compete, or coach wheelchair fencing.
Over the years, The Sabre Trust has helped fund equipment, international travel, competition fees, and coaching courses for many of Britain’s wheelchair fencers. Viv has also organised training camps at Stoke Mandeville Stadium, supported by WheelPower which has strengthened the partnership between the two organisations.
Viv’s fundraising efforts don’t stop at sport. She also writes children’s books (The Wheelchair Musketeers trilogy) based on real wheelchair fencers, including Dan Smith, who appears as ‘Tierce’ in the stories.
Now Viv and Dan are joining forces for Winter Wonderwheels, taking on a wheelchair push to raise funds for both WheelPower and The Sabre Trust. The event also offers Dan a long-awaited opportunity to fundraise after being turned away from previous events due to accessibility barriers.
“WheelPower has supported my coaching camps for years” Viv says, “and this is a chance to give something back. Our charity and WheelPower share the same goals and we can achieve so much more by working together.”
To support Viv and Dan in their Winter Wonderwheels challenge, please visit their fundraising pages:
Viv’s page: https://www.justgiving.com/page/vivien-mills-2
Dan’s page: https://www.justgiving.com/page/dans-raising
