Breeze GT scooter gets Mark back on track after stroke
New Mark is rediscovering old Mark. With the help of a mobility scooter. A stroke two years ago took away his ability to walk in an instant, but now he’s back. Not back to running a kitchen manufacturing business or driving sportscars, but back to a life where he values the really important things in life. Like inclusion, kindness and confidence. These are massive for 63-year-old Mark. As he learns to deal with the new challenges that mental and physical disability present, his TGA Breeze GT has given him the opportunity to engage with the world once more. Helping Mark steer his way back to his old self. He’s called his scooter ‘Big Blue’ and it matches his big personality.
Mark lives in Bristol. You’ll find him in the woods next to his house most days, riding his Breeze and talking to walkers. Dealing day-to-day with stroke is hard but on his scooter Mark doesn’t fear anything – bumps in the road, slopes, grassy knolls…he’ll take it all on. “It’s as much a representation of me as it is a scooter,” begins Mark. “I needed it to look good as the old Mark used to drive Bentleys, Ferraris and Porsches. No ego trip here, I wasted a lot of money on ‘daft’ cars. The old Mark was proud of his sportscars though and so the new Mark also wanted to be as proud of his scooter. I wanted something that stood out. I get young lads stopping me all the time saying, ‘that’s a smart scooter mate’.”
“I have had to adapt quickly to being impaired. I have also become attuned to kindness. I stopped in the woods yesterday to talk to a couple walking their doggy. I asked them if I could stroke their dog and they said yes and lifted the dog up as they could see I couldn’t bend down. Small acts like this mean the world to me and I reward kindness every day. When I see kindness, like from Sam and Steve at TGA, I tell people. I get it that Sam and Steve are in the commercial world but that did not stop them being exceptionally kind and understanding about my condition. All was no problem, with good will and good humour.”
Mark got in touch with TGA earlier in the year about getting a scooter. He had two smaller ones but needed something bigger for woodland walks. “TGA offered home visits like other companies but Sam and Steve were by far the best people I ever contacted,’ continues Mark.
“Sam came out and gave me a three-wheeler Breeze to try but it wasn’t for me. I said sorry so she brought out a four-wheel Breeze to try for a week, for free – how brilliant is that?! I’ve been a self-made businessman since 19 so understand the transaction. So, I have no tolerance for companies who do not value my money and custom. Satisfied customers are the lifeblood of any business – TGA understand that.”
“If you’re going to go out on your own, you’ve got to make sure what you’re driving won’t let you down. If my scooter breaks down, I can’t get off and push so would be stuck. My Breeze with its wider wheels is like driving a Range Rover; you know whatever the terrain or weather, your vehicle will make it.”
Over and above being able to move on his own, Mark’s scooter has given him his self-worth back. “My Breeze gives me back some of the old Mark. I can get to the hospital, the clinic, I can be independent without Helen struggling to push me in a wheelchair. When we go to Tesco, she puts our shopping in the back of my scooter so I am an asset again and not a liability. We have a dog day care business. I help Helen but can’t walk the dogs so I sit with them to keep them company.”
As Mark looks to the future he hopes for adventures further away. He finishes by saying: “I’m planning to take Big Blue up Cadbury Camp Lane near me to see the old Roman fort. I know my scooter is more than capable of getting up there and would also love to take it up Pen y Fan in Wales. My scooter is my best friend, it sounds silly, but it isn’t, it has given me so much belief in myself. A Breeze will make you feel stronger, more confident and free.”
