Paralysed former jockey’s lifeline stolen in devastating car theft
An urgent appeal has been launched after the stolen car of former jockey and wheelchair tennis player Sarah Gaisford containing specialist equipment crucial to her independence and sporting career.
The car is a blue VW Golf Estate R-Line 1.5 eTSI , registration number WF25 SDO.
Sarah, from Buckfastleigh, was paralysed from the chest down following a devastating racing fall at Exeter Racecourse in 2007.
The accident changed her life forever, but Sarah rebuilt her future through extraordinary determination, becoming one of Britain’s leading wheelchair tennis players.
Her stolen vehicle contained her specialist sports wheelchair, tennis rackets and essential sporting equipment and a freewheel which she uses to walk her dog.
Friends say she is absolutely devastated. Before her accident, Sarah was a highly respected jockey who rode 50 point-to-point winners and 14 winners under Rules. Following her spinal injury, she refused to give up on sport and eventually took up wheelchair tennis, where she rose through the rankings to become one of the top players in Britain.
Sarah has previously been ranked ninth in Great Britain and was inside the world rankings for wheelchair tennis racing 70. She has trained relentlessly for years and has become widely admired for turning unimaginable trauma into sporting success.
The specialist tennis wheelchair is uniquely adapted and made to measure for Sarah. It is enormously expensive to replace. Friends say the theft has taken away not just equipment, but Sarah’s independence, mobility and ability to compete and to train.
Sarah’s story has previously been featured nationally because of her remarkable recovery after the Exeter racecourse accident left her with crushed vertebrae and paralysis from the chest down.
“I am absolutely devastated and in shock. This theft has taken everything from me that I need to live a fulfilling and healthy life. Its my socialisation as well. Tennis has given me a purpose, a goal and something to focus on. I just hope the car and my chair turns up and I can get back to my life again,” said Sarah.
The appeal is now spreading rapidly across Devon’s racing, tennis and disabled sports communities in the hope the vehicle and equipment can be recovered quickly.
Residents across the region are being urged to:
- check CCTV and dashcam footage
- look in lay-bys, lanes and car parks for abandoned specialist equipment
- report any sightings immediately to Devon & Cornwall Police - the crime reference number is 50260124473.
Friends believe the specialist wheelchair and mobility aids may have been dumped if the thieves realised how distinctive and personal the equipment was.
Anyone with information is urged to contact police immediately.
