DEAFBLIND
GUY SETS NEW QUADBIKE WORLD SPEED RECORD
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an amazing event on Saturday 22nd June which proved that
being both deaf and blind needn’t stop you being the
best, double world record holder Graham ‘G-Force’
Hicks from Peterborough raced into the record books again
– this time smashing his own quadbike world speed
record. |
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Despite
the strong winds which lashed the quadbike head-on as it tore
along the airstrip at Bruntingthorpe Proving Ground in
Leicestershire, Graham broke through the 100mph hour barrier,
setting the record at 104mph. Graham actually took the bike up to 116mph on one attempt
down the runway, but the force of the wind against the bike on
the return run slowed the average speed of the two runs.
Graham,
who has been both deaf and blind since childhood, took full
control of the quad while pillion rider, Rob Hall, gave him
navigational directions to help him keep straight down the
runway. By pressing
Graham’s chest on the left, Rob indicated to Graham to steer
more to the left, similar for the right, pulling back on the
chest indicated slow down and clenching him tight with the knees
(similar to geeing up a horse!) was the all-clear signal to
accelerate at full-speed.
Graham’s
bike ‘G-Force Challenger’, is probably one of the fastest
quads in the world. Based
on a Honda TRX400EX quad with a 1100cc Super Blackbird 152bhp
engine, this bike was custom-built by Terry Chard, former
technician for ‘Olly Duke’, and Race Engineering.
It was built to Supermoto specs, with a full race exhaust
system supplied and fitted by Venom Performance Products.
As
well as fulfilling his personal ambition to beat his quadbike
world record, Graham has also used the event to raise funds for
the national charity Deafblind UK which he works for and which
gives its full backing to his amazing challenges.
Deafblind UK is building the country’s first ever
National Centre for Deafblindness and all monies raised from
Graham’s events over the year will go towards expanding the
charity’s work to assist people throughout the country who
have lost, or are losing, both their sight and hearing.
Deafblind
UK would like to thank the following companies who have
sponsored the Quadbike World Speed Record Challenge:
Anglia
Bearing Company Ltd; Apex Tyres; BSD Racing; Chalcon Ltd; Cooper
Avon Tyres; Crighton’s of Peterborough Ltd; Dunlop Tyres Ltd;
Fenland Engineering; Goodridge UK; GTS Racegear; Halfords Ltd;
Honda UK Motorcycle and Power Equipment; ID Leisure Ltd; John
Elliot Quad Racing; KIK ATV Specialist; Malvern Timers; Marks
& Spencer Ltd; Mitsubishi UK; Philip Charles Leisure Ltd;
Putoline Oil Ltd; Race Engineering; Ten Fore Ltd; Terry Chard
(former technician for Olly Duke); Venom Performance Products;
VP Racing Fuels.
And
finally, a word from ‘G-Force’ himself:“I’m
really pleased to have succeeded in breaking the record but I
know I could have taken the bike faster if the wind hadn’t
been so hard against us. Anyway,
it’s a good excuse to have another go in the future!
I’m also glad to have shown once more that disability
is no barrier to achievement, not even in motorsport.
Deafblind or disabled people in general can reach their
potential, given the appropriate assistance.
Rob and I worked as a team – I had to trust him as my
eyes and he had to trust me that I could handle the bike safely
at top speeds.
“So now that record is in
the bag, I’m going to start finalising plans for my next
challenge – this time swapping land for sea.
Jetskiing is my other great passion and I hope to become
the first person to jetski from England and Holland and back
next month in July. So
watch this space!”
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