Retired Scottish firefighter with MS, Robert Ness, 74 from Kelty in Fife, is back where he belongs – exploring the great outdoors thanks to an all-terrain TGA mobility scooter.
Being outdoors is everything to Robert. A retired Scottish Firefighter, Watch Commander, County Scout Leader and Curling competitor, he’s always been on the go. Add his love of the Kelty countryside and you’ll understand why staying mobile is a must for Robert.
Now 74 and with MS, he may not be on frontline duty, but life has different challenges. MS meant medical discharge from the Lothian and Borders Fire Brigade and Scouting was no more; but rambling was. Not walking but on wheels. Many old mobility scooters had kept Robert mobile but he yearned to tackle more of the ‘rough stuff’. So he started looking for a proper offroad scooter. As a member of the Forth & Tay Disabled Ramblers, he’d come across the TGA Supersport. One of the group owned one which caught Robert’s eye; he had to have one too.
TGA already knew the Forth & Tay Disabled Ramblers. Thanks to lottery funding, the charity had bought a Breeze scooter to add to their fleet of 20. A strong 4-wheeler, it meant charity Chair, Sheila Batchelor could raise funds by tackling the 66-mile Great Glen Way. What a week-long experience for the group; a journey they’ll never forget. Robert wanted to be part of future challenges like this riding a Supersport. And on the monthly day-long rambles for that matter. So it was time to call TGA and tell them his story. “Harry from TGA came out and was very, very helpful. He bent over backwards to meet my needs and answer my questions.”
Now as a proud new owner, there’s nothing stopping Robert. He’s ready for rambling on another level. “I’ve been a member of the Forth and Tay Disabled Ramblers since it started 16 years ago. The club do own scooters and have a TGA Breeze S4 but I’ve always had a 3-wheeler as I like the manoeuvrability. I’ve had old 2nd hand scooters for many years but felt it was time to upgrade. I find my new Supersport more comfortable to ride and I can now tackle parts of the countryside I’ve never done before. Without a scooter I’d be a prisoner in my own home.”
“It’s quite rural where I live as I’m on the edge of Blairadam Forest. The countryside around here is very accessible. I mainly go to Lochore Meadows Country Park. What I normally do is go there along footpaths and drive around the loch. It’s about seven miles and I tend to be out for a few hours. I get halfway round and stop at the café. I’m a bit of a caffeine addict so like getting full of coffee! And then I go around the other side of the loch, so I have done a full circle. I’ve never been a fan of going in one direction, turning around and coming back the same way. People say when you’re coming it looks different but to me it doesn’t feel different.”
When not scooting, Robert still drives his car. And now it has a tow bar ready for the Supersport trailer he’s going to buy. He’s gearing up to go further afield in search of ‘more adventurous stuff’. Robert remains the outdoor person he always was and MS has not got in the way. As he drives off on remote rambles with his trusty Supersport, Robert knows he’s back where he belongs – loving outdoors life in Fife.
