The Paralympic ski racer uses his athleticism in this year’s costume. When he inverts his body, his leg looks just like the long neck and curved bill and head of the bird.

In 2010, Sundquist made his national debut as a Halloween champion as a half-eaten gingerbread man.

In 2012, he lit up Halloween as the famous leg lamp from A Christmas Story.

In addition to his Sundquist Halloween costumes, Sunquist’s trademark is his remarkable story of survival and triumph over disability, one he goes into a length on his website.

Diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer at age 9, Sunquist was given a 50 percent chance of survival.

But he survived and after losing his leg to amputation he’s put his disability to good use: he’s now a motivational speaker, a member of the US Amputee Soccer Team, bestselling author, YouTube personality, and founder of LessThanFour.org, the world’s largest social networking website for amputees.

While his latest costume pales in comparison to these achievements, it still manages to be just as uplifting.

As the person who uploaded the picture to Reddit wrote, ‘When life hands you lemons…become a flamingo.’

Daily Mail

The 14-year-old won the 50m freestyle in 30.06 seconds to give her a boost ahead of August’s event in Montreal.

“It’s been a great competition for me and I’m really proud,” said Marren, who reached two finals at London 2012.

Jessica-Jane Applegate, Charlotte Henshaw and veteran Matthew Walker also impressed on the last day in Sheffield.

Marren’s time in Friday’s SM9 200m individual medley final would have won her Paralympic gold last year and was the fastest in the SM9 category since 13-time Paralympic champion Natalie Du Toit won the 2010 IPC World Championship title.

“I think it’s been a brilliant week and I’ve really enjoyed the racing,” Marren, who finished the competition with 10 medals, told BBC Sport.

“I was just looking at personal best times this week and obviously qualifying on the first day in the 100m free I was over the moon as I didn’t expect to qualify in that and the rest of the events just followed.”

Paralympic S14 200m freestyle champion Applegate, who is keen to compete against able-bodied rivals , could have the chance to do that on the national stage later this year.

The 16-year-old, who has Asperger’s Syndrome, won the 50m freestyle B final in 27.79 seconds, which is inside the qualification time for the British Youth Championships at the end of July.

Walker, 35, won the men’s multi-classification 50m freestyle in 28.50 seconds while Henshaw, who won silver in the SB6 breaststroke in London last summer, secured her World qualification time in Sunday’s heats with a time of one minute 40.91 seconds before lowering that further to 1:40:24 in the final.

“It’s really good and I’ve had a good meet which is a good step towards the Worlds. I’m enjoying my swimming and going fast which is important,” said Walker.

“This afternoon I had the luxury of just enjoying the race and that’s why I was able to go quicker,” added Henshaw.

“I’ve waited until the last day and it’s hard to wait when everyone else is getting their times, but I’m just happy I’ve got it.”

However Henshaw’s team-mate and 2008 Paralympic champion Liz Johnson failed to achieve the qualification time in the same event.

“I’m gutted not to have made the time and I’m disappointed not to convert my morning swim,” Johnson told BBC Sport.

“Everyone knows I can convert and it is only in the last year or so that I’ve struggled so I will have to work out why.

“Sometimes when you miss a time it is a sign your career is over but I think a lot of people will agree that the standard is so tough in our event that it isn’t career over.

“I might have to sit out this World Championships unfortunately.”

Former national championship able-bodied swimmer Stephanie Slater, who set a European record in the 100m butterfly on Friday, sealed her third World Championship qualifying time of the competition, this time in the 100m breaststroke.

The British squad for the IPC World Swimming Championships will be announced on Tuesday.

By Nick Hope

BBC Sport

The bikes, which are pedalled by hand rather than by foot, have especially low gears which will be essential on the steep and rocky upper slopes of the mountain.

Karen will take the place of Luke Delahunty, the organisers’ ‘Champion’, who was injured in a skiing accident earlier in the year.

“Luke damaged his shoulder in a fall, and this blocked any attempts to train for the gruelling 10 hours on the mountain. A shoulder injury has added impact for any wheelchair user, and though sad to see him retire from the ride, we completely understand that he needs to rest the injury” said event co-ordinator Graham O’Hanlon. “With so little time left, there was no chance to get a new rider up to speed with operating the bike, or indeed the time to develop personal fitness. The first reserve (me) was starting to get nervous!”

“Out of the blue, we heard that Karen was interested in taking part. She was fresh from a winter of training in Mallorca, has ridden the same model of bike on numerous occasions, and has a long history of adventures on hand-bikes. There are few people, nationally or internationally, who could have stepped in at this late stage, and we consider ourselves very lucky to have her on-board.”

“There will not be much to see on the day, as riders will be spread out across the mountain, but the same evening, riders and support crew will be gathering at the Cross Foxes at Brithdir, where there will be a great chance to get a closer look at the equipment, and meet some of the people involved” added Graham.

This ambitious event has been made possible by the efforts of a large team of skilled volunteers. Any money donated will be split between Mawddach Rotary Club (10%), Challenge your Boundaries adaptive MTB project (30%), Aberdyfi Search and Rescue Team (30%), and ‘Walking with the Wounded’; a project assisting injured service personnel (30%).

You can follow our progress at www.facebook.com/challengeyourboundaries

and you can help us by donating online at http://www.justgiving.com/teams/HandBikesatDawn

Contact us on info@snowbikers.com or call us on 01341 430628 for further information.

But when no one responded she was left with no choice but to crawl to her flat dragging her wheelchair weighing more than one stone behind her.

She said: ‘People assume that Britain is much more accessible than it is. The battle is not won. It’s really frustrating and it’s stuff like this that other people take for granted.’

She told The Times: ‘If you can walk up the stairs it would take you five minutes, but it took me 25 minutes as I had to balance my chair on each step and then haul it up. It’s pretty unpleasant.

The 11-time gold medal winner said it was only because of her upper body strength that she was able to manage the feat.

‘Most people wouldn’t be able to do it. If I couldn’t have crawled up the stairs then what would I have done? Slept the night in the foyer?’

She took to Twitter to vent her frustration at being left with ‘two lovely bruises’ on the back of her right leg following the incident.

Lady Grey-Thompson, who lives in London four days a week, said the on-call manager of the building ‘pretty much refused to come’ last time the lift broke, and said: ‘It’s a real pain in the neck.’

She added that returning to her car in the morning involved ‘bouncing down the stairs’ and said she did not know if the lift would be fixed yet.

In the past Baroness Grey-Thompson has had to throw her wheelchair off a train and crawl out when she was left alone in a carriage at midnight with no assistance.

When she cam third in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2000 she was unable to get on stage because the organisers forgot to install a wheelchair ramp.

As well as being an elite athlete Baroness Grey-Thompson has campaigned against what she called ‘second-class’ treatment of people with disabilities.

Yesterday in her role as a crossbench peer in the House of Lords she defeated Government plans to limit the ways disabled people can apply for benefits by 163 votes to 148.

Mail Online By EMILY DAVIES

Open to trade, health care and care management professionals plus members of the public, Naidex National showcases the latest independent living equipment and services. Visitors can also attend the free CPD certified Naidex Conference, offering over 55 discussions and presentations in four dedicated theatres by more than 30 UK thought leaders and opinion formers. It’s a vital opportunity for those seeking the latest thought, techniques and independent living strategies.

The event, which runs from 30 April to 2 May 2013, also welcomes World Record javelin thrower Nathan Stevens on Thursday 2 May (Ade opens the show on 30 April).

Fiona Davies, event director for Naidex said: “We’re delighted that Ade Adepitan will be opening Naidex National on 30 April. He’s a true inspiration. Ade will be revealing how independent living technology has helped him and, I’m sure, will share some wonderful tales of that amazing Paralympic summer of 2012.”

Ade Adepitan added: “I am delighted to have the opportunity of attending Naidex National and to open the show this year, especially in the capacity of Invacare’s ambassador. I find it very inspiring to see the latest product innovations at such a huge show.”

Ade is an Invacare ambassador and will visit the Invacare stand (number B130) on the opening day of Naidex National to see their latest mobility and independence equipment. The company will be showcasing a selection of its new mobility products and independent living solutions, which include the latest powerchairs, as well as Alber, Kuschall and Top End brands. They will also show their innovative lifting, bathing and hygiene products that support the company’s brand promise of making life’s experiences possible.

www.naidex.co.uk

Upon payment of the 100,000 rand he must be released with the following conditions: 

• He appears in court on 4 June at 8.30am.

• He surrenders all passports.

• He refrains from applying for any passports.

• He refrains from entering any airport.

• He surrenders all firearms.

• He refrains from possessing any firearms.

`• He refrains from talking to any witnesses for the prosecution.

• He will have a probation officer and correctional official from the date of release until the conclusion of the case.

• He shall inform the official all his movements and ask for permission for any journeys outside Pretoria.

• He shall give them a phone number and must be contactable day and night.

• He must not be charged with an offence of violence against women.

• He must not use drugs or alcohol.

• He must not return to his home and not make contact with any residents of his estate except the Stander family.

The Guardian

“My swimming is pretty good at the moment – I’m beating able-bodied competitors. But it could be cycling or canoeing. I’m definitely going to give it a go. I don’t want to look back in 20 years time and regret not having tried it. I’m excited beyond words at this place. They’re going to struggle to get me of the door.”

The tour was the first glimpse of the new facilities at Tedworth House in Tidworth, one of the charity’s four UK recovery centres due to fully open next year and set to care for and inspire injured service personnel for the next century.

There is an excellent gym, an adjustable multi-depth pool, even an indoor ski stimulator. Within five minutes’ drive, 19 Paralympian sports are on offer, from cycling to canoeing and horse-riding.

The facilities at Tedworth, a grand house and grounds that is being leased from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) for a nominal £1 a year, also include an accommodation block of 34 rooms for service personnel and their families. In addition, there are offices for non-sporting staff who can advise on healthcare, education, employment and finance.

But sport is king. It is not just about physical exercise as a means to recovery; it is about sport helping give those who have suffered terrible injuries something to aspire to.

“Sport can be an incredible way of moving on,” said Martin Colclough, head of sports recovery at Help For Heroes and a member of theParalympicsGB support staff. “It’s not just about the elite athletes, the ones who want to make the Paralympics. Everyone has a their own idea of success, their own idea of what a personal best looks like.”

So for one person, they might want to get to a point where they can ride a bicycle again so that they can teach a son to ride. Colclough came across one injured soldier who wanted to learn to ski in order that he could propose to his girlfriend on a ski-slope. “That’s a beautiful aim,” he said.

Rory Mckenzie, a 30-year-old member of the Royal Army Medical Corps, described vividly how one moment he was at the top of his game, physically and mentally. He was a super-fit rugby player and knew his job as a medic inside out. Then came the explosion that changed his life. He lost his right leg to a roadside bomb in Iraq in 2007. “Two seconds later you are an infant learning to walk again. I was incredibly low.”

The turning point for him came on top of a mountain in Bavaria when he was pushed downhill by an instructor. “I realised I had missed the wind in my face. I realised that sport was the key to unlock the health of my mind. I became addicted to it.” Since then he has rowed across the Atlantic and took part in the Paralympic Games closing ceremony.

The tour was also a chance for current Paralympic athletes to discover what was on offer at Tedworth House. Help for Heroes will work with theBritish Paralympic Association to identify a new group of service personnel who will be ready to compete in Rio in 2016. The two organisations will run talent “ID days” to spot the most promising athletes and fast-track those who show aptitude into elite sport.

Paralympic rower Nick Beighton lost both his legs in a roadside bomb in Helmand. “When you’re first injured it’s a real identity crisis,” he says. “It’s hard coming to terms with who you are and what you are able to achieve. Sport is an easily accessible way of providing something you can throw yourself into at whatever level. It’s not only for aspiring Paralympians, it’s about getting out, getting the confidence back and that belief.”

Bryn Parry, the co-founder of Help For Heroes, was keen to emphasise that this project was not just about the here and now. Even though British troops are due to be out of Afghanistan within a couple of years, those that have already been injured or will be hurt in the future will need lifelong care. “This is a launchpad for life,” he said.

And he was also keen to get across the message that – despite the images of success and courage from the Paralympic games – disabled athletes are not “superhuman”. “They are also vulnerable. They will have black times. Those who have been injured need our support for life. We owe them a debt. We have to get this right.”

The Guardian